PEN/Jean Stein Book Award
2023 Winner
2023 Shortlist & Longlist
Shortlist
Complete History
2020s
About the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award
The PEN/Jean Stein Book Award is an annual American literary prize of $75,000 awarded by PEN America to a book-length work of any genre for its originality, merit, and impact. Established in 2016 in honor of the late Jean Stein—a legendary literary editor, publisher, and salon host who was one of the preeminent cultural figures of twentieth-century New York—the award is one of the largest single-book prizes in American letters.
Unlike most awards that specify genre or form, the PEN/Jean Stein Award is deliberately cross-genre and has recognized poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid works since its inception. Winners have included Hisham Matar's memoir The Return (2017), Layli Long Soldier's poetry collection Whereas (2018), Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's short fiction debut Friday Black (2019), Yiyun Li's novel Where Reasons End (2020), Ross Gay's book-length poem Be Holding (2021), Daisy Hernández's investigative nonfiction The Kissing Bug (2022), and Percival Everett's novel Dr. No (2023).
The prize is juried each year by a panel of distinguished writers, editors, and critics appointed by PEN America. The Jean Stein Award reflects Jean Stein's own belief in literature that defies easy categorization and speaks to urgent moral and aesthetic questions. With its $75,000 prize and PEN America's international profile, the award has become one of the most watched in American literary culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The award is open to books of any genre—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or hybrid works—published in the United States. This cross-genre eligibility is relatively rare among major American literary awards.
- The prize is $75,000, making it one of the largest single-book awards in American letters.
- Jean Stein (1934–2017) was a prominent American literary editor and cultural figure, founder of the literary journal Grand Street, and author of Edie and West of Eden. She was known for her Paris Review interviews with major writers and her influential New York salons.
- PEN America appoints a jury of distinguished writers, editors, and critics each year. The jury reviews submissions and selects a shortlist of finalists before deciding on the winner.
- The first PEN/Jean Stein Book Award was given in 2017 to Hisham Matar for The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between.
- The award focuses on books published in the United States, but authors of any nationality whose work is published in the US are eligible.
- Yes. Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's debut short story collection Friday Black won in 2019, demonstrating the award's commitment to recognizing emerging as well as established voices.