Share

Tara Westover among PEN award nominees

Share

NEW YORK (AP) — Tara Westover’s best-selling memoir “Educated” and Richard Powers’ novel “The Overstory” are among the nominees for a $75,000 award presented by the literary and human rights organization PEN America.

On Thursday, PEN announced finalists for everything from translation to science to sports writing. Writers cited included Zadie Smith, Jamel Brinkley, Jane Leavy and Alexander Chee. Authors and books nominated span the globe from Morocco to Hanoi to rural Idaho, the setting of Westover’s memoir.

Most of the winners will be announced Feb. 26.

According to PEN, more than half of the nominated books come from small and independent publishers. The list also features numerous debut authors and works touching upon immigration, racism and the environment.

“Our current moment has brought to the fore the essential role of writers as storytellers, and the range of works shortlisted is a testament to the enduring power and infinite possibilities of the written word,” said PEN’s literary awards program director Nadxieli Nieto.

Trending:
Fani Willis Throws a Tantrum to Jim Jordan as Contempt Deadline Arrives

Westover and Powers are finalists for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award for “originality, merit and impact,” with others in contention including poet Ada Limon’s “The Carrying” and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s debut story collection, “Friday Black.” Another debut book is a Stein nominee: Jose Olivarez’s poetry collection “Citizen Illegal.”

Nominees for the PEN/Hemingway Award, a $25,000 prize for best debut novel, include Tommy Orange’s “There There,” Meghan Kenny’s The Driest Season” and Ling Ma’s “Severance.” Fiction books by Brinkley and Helen DeWitt are up for a $25,000 honor for best debut short story.

Leavy’s Babe Ruth biography, “The Big Fella,” is a finalist for a $5,000 sports writing prize. Chee’s “How to Write an Autobiographical Novel” and Smith’s “Feel Free” are nominees for a $10,000 prize for “the art of the essay.”

___

Online:

A complete list of finalists can be found on www.pen.org

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation