The PEN America Literary Awards are considered to be some of the most important American literary prizes. These awards are part of many PEN awards supported by International PEN, which has more than 145 PEN centers worldwide.
Some awards that were once given by the PEN American Center, which is now called PEN America, are no longer presented. These awards include those listed below.
PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award (1987–2015)
The PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award was an honor given to writers from any country who bravely worked to protect the right to free expression. Created in 1987, the award was managed by PEN American Center and funded by PEN trustee Barbara Goldsmith. The final award was given in 2015. Its replacement is the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, started in 2016, which recognizes writers who were jailed because of their writing.
PEN/Steven Kroll Award (2012–2014)
The PEN/Steven Kroll Award is given by the PEN American Center to honor the special writing skills of authors who create picture books. This award was created to remember Steven Kroll, who once worked for PEN and led a group that helps young readers. The first award was given in 2012 for a book published in 2011. The most recent award was given in 2014.
PEN/W.G. Sebald Award (2010–2011)
The PEN/W.G. Sebald Award for a Fiction Writer in Mid-Career was given by the PEN American Center to a promising writer who has written three fiction books.
PEN Emerging Writers Awards (2011)
The PEN Emerging Writers Awards were given by the PEN American Center. These awards were given to new and promising authors whose writing had appeared in well-known literary magazines but who had not yet published books. Three prizes were given: one for fiction, one for nonfiction, and one for poetry. Only editors from print and online journals could nominate candidates. Journals that participated in 2011 included: 6 x 6, A Public Space, Bloom, Colorado Review, Creative Nonfiction, Fence, Gargoyle, Glimmer Train, Guernica, Harvard Review, jubilat, Kenyon Review, Lungfull!, New York Quarterly, One Story, The Oxford American, Ploughshares, Rain Taxi, Spinning Jenny, and Tin House.
PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award (2000)
The PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award was given to writers who had not published their work before. These writers sent in original short stories to compete. The prize for winning was a cash award of $10,000, and the story would be published on Amazon.com and in The Boston Book Review. The award was active for one year.
Architectural Digest Award for Literary Writing on the Visual Arts (2000–2001)
The Architectural Digest Award for Literary Writing on the Visual Arts was given to writing about visual arts. The award was given out for two years, from 2000 to 2001.
Gregory Kolovakos Award (1992–2004)
The Gregory Kolovakos Award was a literary prize given every three years by PEN American Center to a U.S. literary translator, editor, or critic "whose work, in meeting the challenge of cultural difference, shows Gregory Kolovakos's dedication to the value of Hispanic literature and to growing its audience in English." The award mainly honored translations from Spanish to English, though translations from other Hispanic languages were also allowed. Gregory Kolovakos graduated from Yale University and worked for many years as the director of the Literature Program of the New York State Council on the Arts. He also started as the first executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in 1985. The prize money was USD $2000. The award was first presented in 1992.
Jerard Fund Award (2001–2005)
The Jerard Fund Award recognized a nonfiction work that was still being developed and showed excellent writing and creativity by a woman who was in the middle of her career. The award was given out every two years and was active between 2001 and 2005.
Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir (1998–2006)
The Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir was given for a memoir that was published for the first time. It was active from 1998 to 2006.
Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction (1989–2006)
The Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction is given to an American author for their first book that was published in general nonfiction. The award was given between 1989 and 2006.
PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award (1993–2006)
The PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award was given each year from 1993 to 2006 to a U.S. resident who worked bravely, even when facing challenges, to protect the First Amendment right to freedom of expression related to writing. The award was supported by PEN American Center and Newman's Own, and it included a cash prize of $20,000. It was active between 1993 and 2006.
PEN/Katherine Anne Porter First Amendment Award (2008)
The PEN/Katherine Anne Porter First Amendment Award was given only once, in 2008. It was created to honor a U.S. resident who worked bravely even when facing challenges to protect the First Amendment right to freedom of expression related to writing. The award was supported by PEN American Center and the Katherine Anne Porter Foundation and included a cash prize of US$10,000. This award replaced the PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award, which was last given in 2006.
Renato Poggioli Translation Award (1991–2000)
The Renato Poggioli Translation Award was given to a translator who was working on an English version of Italian literature. The award was active from 1991 to around 2000.
Roger Klein Award for Career Achievement (1971–2000)
The Roger Klein Award for Career Achievement was given to a trade book editor every two years for "distinguished editorial achievement." It was active from 1971 to around 2000.
Roger Klein Award for Editing
The Roger Klein Award for Editing was a special recognition given every two years to an excellent editor in trade hardcover publishing. It was active from 1971 to around the year 2000.