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2023 PEN America Literary Awards Finalists Announced

PEN America's Literary Award Finalists have been announced. They include books of by debut writers and well-known writers alike.

Community Feb 16, 2023

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The PEN America Literary Award Finalists have been announced for the organization’s 2023 Literary Awards. The awards will grant a total of $350,000 to several writers and translators of fiction, nonfiction, biography, poetry, science writing, essay writing, and other categories. Here’s the list of writers and translators the list was whittled down from.

2023 PEN AMERICA LITERARY AWARDS FINALISTS

PEN/JEAN STEIN BOOK AWARD ($75,000)

If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English cover

This award looks for a book of any genre that is highly original and impactful.

Acting Class by Nick Drnaso (Drawn & Quarterly)

Dr. No by Percival Everett (Graywolf Press)

Milkweed Smithereens by Bernadette Mayer (New Directions)

If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga (Graywolf Press)

The White Mosque by Sofia Samatar (Catapult)

PEN OPEN BOOK AWARD ($10,000)

An exceptional book of any genre written by an author of color can win this award.

Shutter by Ramona Emerson (Soho Crime)

The Black Period by Hafizah Augustus Geter (Random House)

Gorgoneion by Casey Rocheteau (Noemi Press)

All the Flowers Kneeling by Paul Tran (Penguin Books)

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe (William Morrow & Company)

PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARD FOR DEBUT NOVEL ($10,000)

Book cover of Calling for a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah

This is awarded to debut novels by American authors.

Activities of Daily Living by Lisa Hsiao Chen (W. W. Norton & Company)

Shutter by Ramona Emerson (Soho Crime)

Calling For a Blanket Dance by Oscar Hokeah (Algonquin Books)

Little Rabbit by Alyssa Songsiridej (Bloomsbury Publishing)

Which Side Are You On by Ryan Lee Wong (Catapult)

PEN/VOELCKER AWARD FOR POETRY COLLECTION ($5,000)

Best Barbarian cover

Smoking the Bible by Chris Abani (Copper Canyon Press)

To The Realization of Perfect Helplessness by Robin Coste Lewis (Penguin Random House)

Pink Waves by Sawako Nakayasu (OmniDawn)

blood snow by Dg Nanouk Okpik (Wave Poetry)

Best Barbarian by Roger Reeves (W. W. Norton & Company)

For a full list of finalists and award categories, you can visit PEN America’s site.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.