Since 1963, the PEN America Literary Awards have honored many of the most outstanding voices in literature across diverse genres, including fiction, poetry, science writing, essays, sports writing, biography, children’s literature, and drama. With the help of our partners, PEN America confers over 20 distinct awards, fellowships, grants and prizes each year, awarding nearly $350,000 to writers and translators. View and search our archive of Award winners here.
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more. Email [email protected] with any additional questions.
View a full list of our awards and learn how to submit your work to the 2024 Literary Awards.
Learn the history of our Literary Awards and search past winners.
Find links to work by and interviews with featured honorees.
Recent News
The 2023 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony returns to New York’s Town Hall to celebrate exceptional voices in literature, from first time authors to living legends.
More Information
PEN America is thrilled to announce the 2023 Literary Awards winners. The winners were announced at the ceremony on March 2, 2023.
More Information
The PEN America Literary Awards Program is honored to announce the 2022 career achievement award winners.
More Information
PEN America is honored to announce the finalists for the 2022 PEN America Literary Awards.
More Information
PEN America is honored to announce the longlists for the 2023 PEN America Literary Awards.
More Information
Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, chief program officer for Literary Programming at PEN America, said, “Kal Penn epitomizes PEN America’s belief in the capacity of writers and artists to instigate social…
More Information
(NEW YORK)— Twelve debut writers chosen for originality, craft and subject urgency were announced today as winners of the $2000 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.…
More Information
Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, Chief Program Officer, Literary Programming at PEN America, said, “The recipients of our Literary Awards’ three career achievement honors reveal the breadth of what human imagination…
More Information
(NEW YORK)—PEN America today announced that Tina Fey, nine-time Emmy Award winner and one of the greatest comedy writers of her generation, will receive the 2023 PEN/Mike Nichols Writing…
More Information
PEN America’s 2023 Literary Awards judges join a long tradition of esteemed writers and PEN America members committed to recognizing their contemporaries.
More Information