Literary Awards
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.
To stay up to date on Literary Awards news, sign up here.
2019 PEN AMERICA LITERARY AWARDS
Click here to view a full list of our current awards. Book submissions are currently closed for the 2019 cycle.
We also accept nominations from Professional Members for many of our most prestigious career awards. If you are a current Professional Member in good standing, please take a moment to nominate deserving poets, playwrights, editors, and more.
The finalists for all book awards will be announced in January 2019. The winners will be celebrated at the 2019 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony on February 26 at the NYU Skirball Center in NYC. Find out more about the event or purchase tickets here.
Together with our esteemed judges, we look forward to another vibrant awards season.
View a full list of our awards, grants, and fellowships, both past and present.
Search the PEN Literary Awards archives.
Find links to work by and interviews with featured honorees.
News
Announcing the 2019 PEN America Literary Awards Longlists
PEN America is thrilled to announce the longlists for the 2019 PEN America Literary Awards. More
Meet the 2019 Literary Awards Judges
PEN America’s 2019 Literary Awards judges join a long tradition of esteemed writers and PEN America members committed to recognizing their contemporaries, from promising debut writers to those who… More
PEN/ Robert W. Bingham Prize to Celebrate Debut Short Story Collection
“With the generous support of the Bingham family, we are able to honor the promising and ambitious works of exemplary debut short story writers and support them as they… More