The PEN/Nora Magid Award for Magazine Editing, established in 1993, honors a magazine editor whose high literary standards and taste have, throughout their career, contributed significantly to the excellence of the publication they edit. The winning editor receives an award of $2,500.
Candidates for this biennial award include current editors in chief, literary editors, and editors of serious general interest magazines, book reviews, or literary reviews and quarterlies, whose intellectual discernment and wide range of interests recall the late PEN America member Nora Magid. Nora Magid served for many years as the literary editor of The Reporter. The award is made possible by a grant from PEN America member Gerald Weales and is offered every other year in odd-numbered years. For more information, please visit our Awards FAQ.
2025 Honoree: Charles Henry Rowell, Callaloo
Judges: Rob Arnold, Dani Nayeri, Rob Spillman
From the judges’ citation: “Some literary journals do more than publish—they build communities, challenge assumptions, and make space for voices too often unheard. For decades, Charles Henry Rowell has done just that through his work with Callaloo. Under his editorship, the journal became a vital platform for Black writers, artists, and scholars across the African diaspora. Charles Henry Rowell didn’t just edit a publication—he cultivated a safe space and an artistic community. The depth, range, and intellectual courage found in Callaloo reflect his vision and dedication. His influence stretches far beyond the page, shaping the broader landscape of American literature in lasting and meaningful ways.”
Previous Winners
(This award is offered every other year, in odd-numbered years.)
2021 Kwame Dawes, Prairie Schooner
2019 Alexandra Watson, Apogee Journal
2017 Michael Archer and Joel Whitney, Guernica
2015 Rob Spillman, Tin House
2013 Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery, Mother Jones
2011 Brigid Hughes, A Public Space
2009 Hannah Tinti, One Story
2007 Bradford Morrow, Conjunctions
2005 Willard Spiegelman, Southwest Review
2003 Robert Fogarty, Antioch Review
2001 Askold Melnyczuk, AGNI
1999 Stan Lindberg, Georgia Review
1997 Wendy Lesser, The Threepenny Review
1995 Herbert Leibowitz, Parnassus
1993 Peter Stitt, Gettysburg Review
Eligibility
- Editors of magazines, journals, and reviews published by small or regional presses, or magazines whose subjects are aimed at a specialized literary readership.
- Candidates are nominated by active PEN members. Editors may not nominate themselves.
Submission Guidelines
Candidates for this award are nominated by active PEN members. Submissions are not accepted.