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2025 PEN America Literary Awards Submissions
Fill out this form to submit a book to the 2025 PEN America Literary Awards.
Do not use this form if you are eligible for a fee waiver.
Please use our
request form
if you are eligible for a fee waiver as we will not be able to refund you.
Please note submissions are not complete until payment is received.
The information gathered in this form will not be shared outside of the small and dedicated awards team and judges, where applicable. A copy of this form will be sent to the submitter's email address below. If you have any questions, please consult our
FAQ page
before contacting
awards@pen.org.
Email
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Submitter Name
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Submitter Title
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Press Name
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Imprint
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Select the applicable award for submission, making sure you have carefully read each award's eligibility requirements. Please be aware that you may only submit a book for one award.
Additional submissions are only allowed in the case of the PEN Open Book Award. The PEN Open Book Award is for writers of color who, prior to this book, have not received wide media attention.
Please submit a second, separate form if you would like your title to be considered for the PEN Open Book Award in addition to another category.
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PEN Open Book Award
PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection
PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection
PEN Award for Poetry in Translation
PEN Translation Prize
PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay
PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography
PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction
Declaration of Eligibility | 2025 PEN Award for Poetry in Translation
I agree that:
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This title is a book-length translation of poetry.
The title is a translation of a work from any language into English.
If the work is a retranslation, the work can be said to provide a significant revision of the original translation.
The title has no more than TWO translators and ONE original author.
The title is an original translation whose first U.S. publication was in or is forthcoming in 2024 with a trade publisher.
The title is not self-published.
Declaration of Eligibility | 2025 PEN Open Book Award
I agree that:
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The author self-identifies as a writer of color.
The title’s first U.S. publication was in or is forthcoming in 2024 by a trade publisher.
Prior to this book, the author has not received wide media coverage.
The title is NOT self-published.
Declaration of Eligibility | 2025 PEN Translation Prize
I agree that:
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This title is translated prose of a literary character and is NOT a translation of poetic verse.
The title is not a technical, scientific, academic, anthological, or bibliographical translation.
The title is translated from any language into English.
If the work is a retranslation, the work can be said to provide a significant revision of the original translation.
The title has no more than TWO translators and ONE original author.
The title is an original translation whose first U.S. publication was in or is forthcoming in 2024 with a trade publisher.
The title is not self-published.
Declaration of Eligibility | 2025 PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay
I agree that:
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The book is a series of individual essays on either a range of subjects or one specific theme.
The author has previously published a collection of essays.
This book is NOT a first collection.
The work has a single author. It is NOT an anthology.
The title’s first U.S. publication was in or is forthcoming in 2024 by a trade publisher.
The title is not self published.
The author is living in the U.S. and/or a U.S. citizen
Declaration of Eligibility | 2025 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
I agree that:
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This title focuses on the subject of physical and/or biological sciences.
The title’s first publication was in or is forthcoming in 2024 by a trade publisher.
This title is not self-published
The title is NOT an anthology.
The author is living in the U.S. and/or a U.S. citizen
Declaration of Eligibility | 2025 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
I agree that:
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The title is the author’s FIRST novel.
The title’s first U.S. publication was in or is forthcoming in 2024 by a trade publisher.
The title is not self-published
The author is living in the U.S. and/or a U.S. citizen
Declaration of Eligibility | 2025 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography
I agree that:
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The title is a biography.
The title’s first U.S. publication was in or is forthcoming in 2024 by a trade publisher.
The title is not self-published.
The title is NOT a memoir or an autobiography.
Declaration of Eligibility | 2025 PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction
I agree that:
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This title is a work of general nonfiction, and is NOT biography or autobiography.
The title’s first U.S. publication was in or is forthcoming in 2024 by a trade publisher.
The title is NOT self-published.
Declaration of Eligibility | 2025 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection
I agree that:
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The title is the writer’s absolute first published book AND a short story collection.
The title’s first U.S. publication was in or is forthcoming in 2024 by a trade publisher.
This title is not self-published
The author is living in the U.S. and/or is a U.S. citizen
Declaration of Eligibility | 2025 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection
I agree that:
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This title is a book-length collection of poetry.
The title’s first U.S. publication was in or is forthcoming in the 2024 calendar year by a U.S. trade publisher.
The title is not self-published.
The author is living in the U.S. and/or a U.S. citizen
Book Title
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Author Name
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Author Email
This will only be used if the book is selected a longlister or finalist.
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Publication Date
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Is this title a translation?
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Yes
No
Original language
Is it a re-translation?
Yes
No
Translator Name(s)
Up to two translators
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Translator Email(s)
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Book Editor
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Editor Email
This will only be used if the book is selected a longlister or finalist.
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Publicist
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Publicist
Email
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Literary Agent
Literary Agent Email
This will only be used if the book is selected a longlister or finalist.
Book File Upload
Please submit PDFs only.
Please upload file saved as BOOKTITLE_AUTHORNAME. For the judges' convenience, please upload a book file WITHOUT watermarks. Each book file will be kept confidentially between the Literary Awards team and the awards judges.
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High Resolution Cover
Must be jpeg, jpg, png.
If you do not have a cover yet, please upload a document stating so and email the cover to awards@pen.org when it is ready.
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Consent: I agree that the information submitted here is correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I confirm that should there be any changes to my submission materials, I will contact awards@pen.org immediately.
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Consent: I agree that my submission will not be complete until I provide payment. I understand that PEN America may invoice me for this submission or I can follow the emailed link to pay.
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FINALIST TRAVEL: In the event that the nominee is selected as one of the top five finalists for this award, we, the author’s publisher/agent, will support to the best of our ability travel and lodging expenses to enable the author to attend the PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony in NYC and to take part in related outreach and publicity, as well as ensuring their availability to attend.
This requirement is not intended to exclude eligible books from consideration. Presses for which this requirement would pose financial hardship should please notify awards@pen.org.
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