PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel

The PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction is awarded annually to a full-length novel or book of short stories by an American author who has not previously published a full-length book of fiction. The award is named after Ernest Hemingway and funded by the Hemingway family and the Ernest Hemingway Foundation/Society. It is administered by PEN America. Mary Welsh Hemingway, a member of PEN, founded the award in 1976 both to honor the memory of her husband and to recognize distinguished first books of fiction.

The winner is selected by a panel of three distinguished fiction writers and receives a cash prize of US$25,000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Along with the winner, two finalists and two runners-up receive a Ucross Residency Fellowship at the Ucross Foundation, a retreat for artists and writers on a 22,000 acre (89 km²) ranch on the high plains in Ucross, Wyoming. The award ceremony is held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts.

The award presentation is sponsored in part by the JFK Presidential Library.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The award is one of many PEN awards sponsored by PEN International affiliates in over 145 PEN centres around the world.

Winners

20th-century

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Year	Author	Title	Template:Abbreviation
1976	Template:Sortname	Parthian Shot
1977	Template:Sortname	Speedboat
1978	Template:Sortname	A Way of Life, Like Any Other
1979	Template:Sortname	Hasen
1980	Template:Sortname	Mom Kills Kids and Self
1981	Template:Sortname	Household Words
1982	Template:Sortname	Housekeeping
1983	Template:Sortname	Shiloh and Other Stories
1984	Template:Sortname	During the Reign of the Queen of Persia
1985	Template:Sortname	Dreams of Sleep
1986	Template:Sortname	Lady's Time
1987	Template:Sortname	Tongues of Flame
1988	Template:Sortname	Imagining Argentina
1989	Template:Sortname	The Book of Ruth
1990	Template:Sortname	The Ice at the Bottom of the World
1991	Template:Sortname	Maps to Anywhere
1992	Template:Sortname	Wartime Lies
1993	Template:Sortname	Lost in the City
1994	Template:Sortname	The Magic of Blood
1995	Template:Sortname	The Grass Dancer
1996	Template:Sortname	Native Speaker
1997	Template:Sortname	Ocean of Words
1998	Template:Sortname	A Private State
1999	Template:Sortname	Homestead

21st-century

Award winners, 2000 to present<ref name=":0" />

Year	Author	Title	Result	Template:Abbreviation
2000	Template:Sortname	Interpreter of Maladies	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2001	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Winner
	Template:Sortname	Moth Smoke	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Scar Vegas and other Stories	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Bee Season	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Use Me	Runner-Up
2002	Template:Sortname	Mary and O’Neil	Winner
	Template:Sortname	Esther Stories	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Three Apples Fell From Heaven	Runner-Up
2003	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Winner
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Dear Mr. President	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Arafat’s Elephant	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
2004	Template:Sortname	Mrs. Kimble	Winner
	Template:Sortname	Night Journey	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Drinking Coffee Elsewhere	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
2005	Template:Sortname	GraceLand	Winner
	Template:Sortname	Madras on Rainy Days	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Anything You Say Can and Will be Used Against You	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Animal Crackers	Runner-Up
2006	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Winner
	Template:Sortname	War by Candlelight	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Waterloo	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
2007	Template:Sortname	Brief Encounters With Che Guevara	Winner
	Template:Sortname	Unconfessed	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Icebergs	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
2008	Template:Sortname	Then We Came to the End	Winner
	Template:Sortname	Twenty Grand	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Like Trees Walking	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Migration Patterns	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
2009	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Winner
	Template:Sortname	One More Year	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Personal Days	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Alive in Necropolis	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
2010	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	All the Living	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Cutting for Stone	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing	Runner-Up
2011	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Winner
	Template:Sortname	Vida	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Death Is Not An Option	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self	Honorable mention
	Template:Sortname	Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand	Honorable mention
2012	Template:Sortname	Open City	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	We Are Taking Only What We Need	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Honorable mention
	Template:Sortname	Accidental Birds of the Carolinas	Honorable mention
2013	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	In the Shadow of the Banyan Tree	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Forgotten Country	Honorable mention
	Template:Sortname	As It Is On Earth	Honorable mention
2014	Template:Sortname	We Need New Names	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Damn Love	Honorable mention
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Honorable mention
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Honorable mention
2015	Template:Sortname	Elegy on Kinderklavier	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	For Today I Am a Boy	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Preparation for the Next Life	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Marine Park	Honorable mention
	Template:Sortname	Man V. Nature	Honorable mention
2016	Template:Sortname	Eileen	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Black River	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	People Like You	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Lifted by the Great Nothing	Honorable mention
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Honorable mention
2017	Template:Sortname	Homegoing	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Dodgers	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	When Watched	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Dog Run Moon	Honorable mention
	Template:Sortname	Dog Years	Honorable mention
2018	Template:Sortname	Chemistry	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Indelible	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Live from Cairo	Honorable mention
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Honorable mention
2019	Template:Sortname	There There	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Freshwater	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Severance	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Honorable mention
	Template:Sortname	Cherry	Honorable mention
2020	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Stay and Fight	Runner-Up
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Runner-Up
2021	Template:Sortname	Sharks in the Time of Saviors	Winner	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	These Ghosts Are Family	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Luster	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	Shuggie Bain	Finalist
	Template:Sortname	How Much of These Hills Is Gold	Finalist
2022	Template:Sortname	Detransition, Baby	Winner	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Burnt Sugar	Finalist	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Dear Miss Metropolitan	Finalist	<ref name=":2" />
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Finalist	<ref name=":2" />
	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Finalist	<ref name=":2" />
2023	Template:Sortname	Calling for a Blanket Dance	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Activities of Daily Living	Finalist	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Shutter	Finalist	<ref name=":3" />
	Template:Sortname	Little Rabbit	Finalist	<ref name=":3" />
	Template:Sortname	Which Side Are You On	Finalist	<ref name=":3" />
2024	Template:Sortname	Countries of Origin	Winner	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	Flux	Finalist	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Template:Sortname	American Gospel	Finalist	<ref name=":1" />

External links

• Hemingway Foundation: PEN/Hemingway Award homepage
• PEN America: PEN/Hemingway Award homepage