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 Hemingway Family, the Hemingway Foundation & Society, and PEN America. Major support is also provided by Mary & Kurt Cerulli.
All competition honorees receive Ucross Residency Fellowships at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming, a retreat for artists and writers. A panel of three distinguished fiction writers selects the winner.
For more information about the award, visit the PEN/Hemingway area of the PEN America wesbite.
2024 PEN/Hemingway Award
The 2024 PEN/Hemingway Award was won by Javier Fuentes for Countries of Origin.
WINNER OF THE PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARD FOR DEBUT NOVEL • This stunning debut chronicles a tumultuous, passionate love affair between two young men from vastly different worlds during one, extraordinary summer in Spain, in what is ultimately a meditation on identity, class, belonging and desire.
“Full of so many pleasures—literary, culinary, amorous… Fuentes has created something beautiful, honest, heartbreaking and hopeful.” —Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Less Is Lost
For a list of all previous winners click here
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