The PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize honors exceptionally talented fiction writers whose debut work—a first novel or collection of short stories published in 2011—represents distinguished literary achievement and suggests great promise. One PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize winner will be selected by a panel of three writers or editors who are PEN Members.
The winner receives a cash award of $25,000, a stipend intended to permit a significant degree of leisure in which to pursue a second work of literary fiction. The recipient is also encouraged to become an active participant in the PEN community and its programs advancing literature, free expression, and the worldwide PEN community of writers.
The PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize was established in memory of Robert W. Bingham, who died in 1999 at the age of 33, to commemorate his support of young writers, his love of literature, and his contribution to literary fiction.
Past winners: Carolyn Cooke, Matthew Klam, Manil Suri, Jonathan Safran Foer, Monique Truong, Will Heinrich, Christopher Coake, Janna Levin, Dalia Sofer, Donald Ray Pollock, Paul Harding, Danielle Evans, and Susanna Daniel.
Eligibility and Submissions
Deadline:
Submissions must be received between October 1, 2011 and February 1, 2012.
Who is eligible:
To be eligible, a candidate’s first (and only the first) novel or first collection of short fiction must have been published by a U.S. trade publisher between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. Candidates must be U.S. residents; American citizenship is not required. There are no restrictions on the candidate’s age or on the style of his or her work.
Submissions are welcome from any source: writers, editors, literary agents, or members of the literary community at large. One need not be a Member of PEN to submit. Self-published books are not eligible.
How to apply:
1) Pay the $50 entry fee online and proceed to checkout. If paying by check, skip to step 2.
3) Mail three copies of the candidate's book, your printed submission form, and proof of online payment or a check between October 1, 2011 and February 1, 2012 to:
PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize
PEN American Center
588 Broadway, Suite 303
New York, NY 10012
Pay the $50 entry fee online or mail in payment with your submission. Submission fees may be waived for publishers whose annual net sales are less than $4 million. Please contact PEN if you wish to find out more.
For more information, please contact awards@pen.org or (212) 334-1660, ext. 126.
