The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists is offered annually to an author of children’s or young adult fiction for a novel-in-progress. Previously called the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship, the award was developed to help writers whose work is of high literary caliber and assist a writer at a crucial moment in their career to complete their novel. The author of the winning manuscript, selected blindly by judges unaware of nominees’ names, will receive an award of $5,000.
The grant is made possible by a substantial contribution from PEN America Member Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, the prolific author of more than 140 books, including Now I’ll Tell You Everything, the 28th and final book in the acclaimed Alice series, as well as Faith, Hope, and Ivy June and Shiloh, the first novel in a quartet, which won the 1992 Newbery Medal.
On establishing the grant, Mrs. Naylor said: “We truly work ‘blind,’ with no assurance whatsoever that anyone will be interested in our final product. It takes enormous stamina and resolve and optimism to live with our characters for a year or more—and it’s my hope that the grant, modest as it is, will let the authors know that an expert panel of PEN judges has faith in the writers, admires their work, and trusts that they will be able to bring to paper what they see in their heads.”
Applications for the 2025 cycle are now open through August 8. Submit here.
2024 Recipient
Judges: Traci Chee, Daniel Nayeri, Susanna Reich
Jackie Sommers, How To Forgive an Island
From the judges’ citation: “How to Forgive an Island is a complex, beautifully written contemporary YA novel. On the Pacific Northwest island of Santa Rita, seventeen-year-old Maggie Sutton struggles with the recent disappearance of her mother, her desire to leave her home for college, and the sudden reappearance of Penn Carroll, an art school dropout grappling with guilt over his brother’s debilitating accident. As Maggie and Penn reconnect over their shared history and current wounds, antagonism turns to attraction, and hurt evolves into hope. A deft hand at description, a subtle ear for dialogue, and a natural flair for drama make How to Forgive an Island an exploration of loss, a coming-of-age, and a romance all at once.”
Featured Works
Sarah Dooley, Free Verse
(G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2016)
Pat Schmatz, Bluefish
(Candlewick Press, 2011)
PEN America has awarded over 20 winning projects to date. You can view the full list of recipients below.
History
Previous Recipients
2023 Lois Sepahban, Mulberry Trees
Judges: Samira Ahmed, Varian Johnson, Susan Kuklin
From the judges’ citation: “Lois Sepahban’s emotionally charged middle grade novel-in-verse, Mulberry Trees, introduces us to 13-year-old Eli, a boy grappling with a string of recent heartbreaks — including the disappearance of his mother and the subsequent loss of his 7-year-old brother, Sam, to the foster care system. Now living with his grandfather, Pawpaw, on a derelict farm in rural Kentucky, Eli struggles with guilt over his broken promise to his brother that they would “always be together.” But as Eli reaches out for help, first to his Pawpaw and then to a therapist, he begins to understand that even in times of grief, there can be moments of beauty and joy. Through powerful imagery and lyrical prose, Mulberry Trees exposes all of Eli’s hurt, confusion and anger, as well as his growing acceptance and eventual love of farm life. Though not the life he initially imagined, Eli comes to embrace the opportunities this new world provides for Pawpaw, Sam, his new foster family, and most importantly, for himself.”
2022 Joy Jones, Walking the Boomerang
2021 Arno Bohlmeijer, Scared—Mad—More!
2020 Tiffany Parks, Saving Caravaggio (This manuscript is not under contract. To request a manuscript excerpt, please contact [email protected].)
2019 Noni Carter, Womb Talk
2018 Vicky Shiefman, Help Me God, Please Pretty Please
2017 Phillippe Diederich, Finding Home at the End of the World
2016 Ash Parsons, A Chemical Distance (Available for Publication)
2015 Stephanie Kuehn, The Pragmatist (forthcoming from Dutton)
2014 Linda Oatman, One Amazing Elephant (HarperCollins, 2017)
2013 Amy Goldman Koss, The Intake Office (Available for Publication)
2012 Sarah Dooley, Free Verse (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2016)
2011 Lucy Frank, Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling (Schwartz & Wade Books/Random House, 2014)
2010 Pat Schmatz, Bluefish (Candlewick Press, 2011)
2009 Carol Lynch Williams, A Glimpse Is All I Can Stand (Published as Glimpse, Simon and Schuster, 2011)
2008 Theresa Nelson Julia Delany, The American Version (Published as The Year We Sailed the Sun, Atheneum Books/Simon and Schuster, 2015)
2007 Diane Les Becquets, Genesis (Published as Season of Ice, Bloomsbury, 2008)
2006 Barbara Shoup, Everything You Want (Flux, 2008)
2005 A.M. Jenkins, Night Road (Harper Teen/Harper Collins, 2008)
2004 Deborah Wiles, [Untitled] (Available for publication)
2003 Franny Billingsley, The Black Mountains (Available for Publication)
2002 Lori Aurelia Williams, Broken China (Simon Pulse/Simon and Schuster, 2006)
2001 Graham McNamee, Sparks (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, 2002)
Published Manuscripts
2014 Linda Oatman High, One Amazing Elephant (HarperCollins, 2017)
2012 Sarah Dooley, Free Verse (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2016)
2011 Lucy Frank, Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling (Schwartz & Wade Books/Random House, 2014)
2010 Pat Schmatz, Bluefish (Candlewick Press, 2011)
2009 Carol Lynch Williams, A Glimpse Is All I Can Stand (Published as Glimpse, Simon and Schuster, 2011)
2008 Theresa Nelson Julia Delany, The American Version (Published as The Year We Sailed the Sun (Atheneum Books/Simon and Schuster, 2015)
2007 Diane Les Becquets, Genesis (Published as Season of Ice, Bloomsbury, 2008)
2006 Barbara Shoup, Everything You Want (Flux, 2008)
2005 A.M. Jenkins, Night Road (Harper Teen/Harper Collins, 2008)
2002 Lori Aurelia Williams, Broken China (Simon Pulse/Simon and Schuster, 2006)
2001 Graham McNamee, Sparks (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, 2002)
Eligibility
- Candidates must be writers of children’s or young adult fiction.
- Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated significant sales.
- The writer’s previously published book(s) must be published by a U.S. trade publisher. Self-published works are ineligible.
- The submitted work must be a novel-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2025.
NOT eligible: Graphic novels and picture books. Manuscripts written by more than one person.
Please consult our FAQ page before directing any questions to [email protected]
Submission Guidelines
All documents should be in 12pt, Times New Roman, single spaced, and with 1 inch margins.
This application requires two PDFs. The judges will only review the second, which asks for an outline, letter of utility, and manuscript. Please make sure these materials do not contain the author’s name. Other materials are for internal use.
The online submission form requires the following:
- A first PDF containing:
- A 1-2 page cover letter including a 1-3 sentence summary of the project, a description of how the candidate meets the criteria for the grant, and a list of the candidate’s published novel(s) for children and/or young adults.
- 1-3 reviews of the candidate’s novel(s) from professional publications. These may be copies or links.
- A 1-2 page letter of recommendation or support from an editor or fellow writer.
- A second, anonymous PDF containing:
The candidate’s name should not appear anywhere on this PDF to ensure anonymity.
Please consult our FAQ page before directing any questions to [email protected].