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Bellwether Prize

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The PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, formerly known as the Bellwether Prize for Fiction is a biennial award given by the PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) and Barbara Kingsolver to a U.S. citizen for a previously unpublished work of fiction that address issues of social justice. The prize was established by noted author Barbara Kingsolver, and is funded by her.[1] Winning authors receive a $25,000 award and a publishing contract, from which they receive royalties.[2]

Submissions are judged by a panel of authors whose work shows themes of social change. Authors who have served as judges include: Russell Banks, Martin Espada, Terry Karten, Maxine Hong Kingston, Ursula K. Le Guin, Barry Lopez, Toni Morrison, Ruth Ozeki, Grace Paley, and Anna Quindlen.

In May 2011, PEN American Center announced it would take over administration of the prize, which will be known as the PEN/Bellwether Prize.[3] The award is one of many PEN awards sponsored by International PEN affiliates in over 145 PEN centres around the world. The PEN American Center awards have been characterized as being among the "major" American literary prizes.[4]

Winners

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Bellwether Prize winners[5]
Year Author Title Ref.
2000 Donna Gershten Kissing The Virgin's Mouth [6]
2002 Gayle Brandeis The Book of Dead Birds [7]
2004 Marjorie Kowalski Cole Correcting the Landscape [8]
2006 Hillary Jordan Mudbound
2008 Heidi W. Durrow The Girl Who Fell From the Sky
2010 Naomi Benaron Running the Rift
2012 Susan Nussbaum Good Kings Bad Kings [9][10][11]
2014 Ron Childress And West is West [12][13][14][15]
2016 Lisa Ko The Leavers [16][17][18]
2019 Katherine Seligman At the Edge of the Haight [19][1][20]
2021 Jamila Minnicks Moonrise Over New Jessup [21][22]
2023 Fabienne Josaphat Kingdom of No Tomorrow

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "A Celebration of the PEN/Bellwether Prize with Katherine Seligman and Barbara Kingsolver". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  2. ^ "Bellwether Prize Information". Archived from the original on 2010-05-05. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
  3. ^ "American PEN Centre". Archived from the original on 2012-10-06.
  4. ^ Alfred Bendixen (2005). "Literary Prizes and Awards". The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 689. Archived from the original on 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  5. ^ "PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction Winners". PEN America. 2021-03-01. Archived from the original on 2022-08-06. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  6. ^ "Bellwether Prize Seeks House to Publish Next Winner". Publishers Weekly. 2001-04-02. Archived from the original on 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  7. ^ "Drawing Breath: Essays on Writing, the Body, and Loss by Gayle Brandeis". Publishers Weekly. 2022-11-23. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  8. ^ "The City Beneath the Snow by Marjorie Kowalski Cole". Publishers Weekly. 2012-03-19. Archived from the original on 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  9. ^ "Awards: PEN Literary". Shelf Awareness. August 30, 2012. Archived from the original on 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  10. ^ "Awards: PEN/Bellwether Winner". Shelf Awareness. June 8, 2012. Archived from the original on 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  11. ^ "2012 PEN Literary Awards Announced". Publishers Weekly. 2012-08-29. Archived from the original on 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  12. ^ John Williams (July 30, 2014). "James Wolcott and Frank Bidart Among 2014 PEN American Winners". New York Times. Archived from the original on August 1, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  13. ^ "PEN Literary Shortlists; PEN/Bellwether Winner". Shelf Awareness. June 19, 2014. Archived from the original on 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  14. ^ "Book Brahmin: Ron Childress". Shelf Awareness . October 23, 2015. Archived from the original on 2022-11-03. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  15. ^ "Bidart, Wolcott Among 2014 PEN Winners". Publishers Weekly. July 30, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-02. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  16. ^ Maggie Galehouse (March 1, 2016). "PEN Literary Award winners announced". Chron. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  17. ^ "Reading with... Lisa Ko". Shelf Awareness. May 19, 2017. Archived from the original on 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  18. ^ "2016 PEN Literary Award Winners". PEN. March 1, 2016. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  19. ^ "PEN America Literary Awards". pen.org. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved Jan 13, 2021.
  20. ^ Maher, John (2019-02-27). "'Daring Works' Fêted at 2019 PEN America Literary Awards". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-09-24. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  21. ^ Saka, Rasheeda (2021-03-02). "Announcing the winners of the PEN/Bellwether Prize and the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize". Literary Hub. Archived from the original on 2023-01-03. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  22. ^ "Moonrise over New Jessup". Shelf Awareness. February 17, 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
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