PEN New England: Advancing the cause of literature and reading in New England and defending free expression everywhere.
  • PEN New England
  • Lesley University
  • 29 Everett St.
  • Cambridge, MA 02138
  • 617.349.8113
  • pen-ne@lesley.edu

The Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award

The PEN/Hemingway Foundation Award is given for a novel or book of short stories by an American author who has not previously published a book of fiction.  The late Mary Hemingway, a member of PEN, founded the award in 1976 both to honor the memory of her husband, Ernest Hemingway, and to recognize distinguished first books of fiction.  The award is funded by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation, which has been administered by the Hemingway Society since 1987, and PEN New England.  A panel of three distinguished fiction writers selects the winner.  Previous recipients of the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award include Marilynne Robinson, Bobbie Ann Mason, Josephine Humphreys, Mark Richard, Louis Begley, Edward P. Jones, Susan Power, Ha Jin, Charlotte Bacon, Jhumpa Lahiri, Akhil Sharma, Justin Cronin, Jennifer Haigh, Chris Abani, Yiyun Li, Ben Fountain, and Joshua Ferris.

In addition to $8000, the winner also receives a one-week residency in The Distinguished Visiting Writers Series at the University of Idaho’s MFA Program in Creative Writing. In addition, the winner and competition finalists and honorable mentions receive Ucross Residency Fellowships at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming, a retreat for artists and writers.

The prize was won last year by Michael Dahlie for A Gentleman’s Guide to Graceful Living. Two finalists were also be named; Ed Park for his novel Personal Days, and Sana Krasikov for her collection of stories entitled One More Year.

Patrick and Carol Hemingway with Michael Dahlie and wife, author Allison Lynn
L to R: Patrick and Carol Hemingway, Michael Dahlie and wife, author Allison Lynn

The award will be presented at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston on Sunday, March 28, 2010. The ceremony is co-sponsored by the library and The Boston Globe.

 

Submission Information

Eligible titles, which must be the first published book length work of fiction (novel or book of short stories) by an American citizen or resident, published in the United States in 2009, may be submitted by publishers, agents, or the authors themselves. Authors are not disqualified by the previous publication of nonfiction, poetry, drama, or books for children. No self-published books, electronic submissions, or e-books are eligible for consideration.

DEADLINE: December 28, 2009 POSTMARK (Early submissions are encouraged. Galleys are acceptable.)

Entry submission form and application instructions