Poetry News

Finalists for PEN America Literary Awards Announced

Originally Published: January 28, 2019

PEN America has announced the finalists for 2019 prizes, including the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation (which recognizes a book-length translation of poetry from any language into English published in 2018). Additionally, there are a few finalists, in other categories, who are also relevant to readers of poetry, including José Olivarez, author of Citizen Illegal (Haymarket Books) and Ada Limón, author of The Carrying (Milkweed Editions)  who are both finalists for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award (recognizing a book-length work of any genre for its originality, merit, and impact). In its introduction to the role-call, PEN America explains: "This year’s awards will confer more than $370,000 to writers and translators whose exceptional literary works were published in 2018. Spanning fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biography, essays, science writing, sports writing, translation, and more, these shortlisted books are bound to help fill your 2019 TBR." From there:

Stay tuned for further announcements about winners of the following awards: PEN/Nabokov Award for International Literature, PEN/Osterweil Award for Poetry, PEN/Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, PEN/Pels Theater Award, PEN/Magid Award for Excellence in Editing, PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award. 

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

For a book-length work of any genre for its originality, merit, and impact.

Friday Black, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Mariner Books)
Hudson Booksellers | IndieBound

The Carrying: Poems, Ada Limón (Milkweed Editions)
Hudson Booksellers | IndieBound

Citizen Illegal, José Olivarez (Haymarket Books)
Hudson Booksellers | IndieBound

The Overstory: A Novel, Richard Powers (W. W. Norton & Company)
Hudson Booksellers | IndieBound

Educated: A Memoir, Tara Westover (Random House)
Hudson Booksellers | IndieBound

Learn more about the rest of the finalists at PEN America.