PEN America Literary Awards PEN/Jean Stein Book Award

Founded in 2016, the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award is an annual award which recognizes a book-length work of any genre for its originality, merit, and impact, which has broken new ground by reshaping the boundaries of its form and signaling strong potential for lasting influence. A distinguished panel of judges will nominate candidates internally. The author of the winning book receives a prize of $75,000 and is honored at the annual PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony in New York City.

All winners, finalists, and longlisters for this award are eligible to receive PEN America’s official emblems. If you are a publisher and interested in obtaining PEN America’s award emblem, please write to [email protected].

Featured Winner

To a book-length work of any genre for its originality, merit, and impact, which has broken new ground by reshaping the boundaries of its form and signaling strong potential for lasting influence.

Judges: Lauren Groff, Joan Naviyuk Kane, Madeleine Thien

Dr. No, Percival Everett (Graywolf Press) 
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From the judges’ citation: “Dr. No is a book of myriad aspects, ostensibly about “nothing”, whimsical on its surface, witty and joyful, disorienting and bold. All its familiar doors and trappings turn out to be unfamiliar — and then, as we pass into their architecture, deeply familiar: our world appears in a form that was hidden yet visible all along. Percival Everett does things with language, and to language, that are jaw-droppingly inventive, playful, invigorating and new. This new James Bond, Wala Kitu, wanders Quixote-like into the soul of America, trying to save Nothing, restrain Nothing, separate Nothing from life, understand Nothing. Emptiness finally shows itself. This is such a strange and brilliant book. Nothing like it has existed for a long, long time.”

2023 Finalists

Acting Class, Nick Drnaso (Drawn & Quarterly)
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Dr. No, Percival Everett (Graywolf Press) 
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Milkweed Smithereens, Bernadette Mayer (New Directions)
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If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English, Noor Naga (Graywolf Press)
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The White Mosque, Sofia Samatar (Catapult)
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Eligibility and Submission Guidelines

Please note that candidates for this award will be nominated internally by a panel of judges. Nominations will not be accepted. Please visit our FAQ page.

Who is Eligible
  • Must be published in the United States.
  • May be of any genre (fiction, memoir, essay, general nonfiction, poetry)
  • Must possess significant literary merit, illustrate great originality, and possess strong potential for lasting influence.