PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection (Fiction) Grant

PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection (Fiction) Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: PEN America
Amount: US $25,000
Last Updated: July 19, 2025

Summary

The PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection recognizes an outstanding debut collection of short stories by a talented fiction writer. Awarded by PEN America, this prize highlights the literary achievements of new voices in fiction and offers a $25,000 cash prize to support the winner's future work. Established in memory of Robert W. Bingham, it honors his commitment to nurturing young writers and their contributions to literature.

Overview

PEN America Founded in 1922, PEN America is the largest of the more than 100 centers worldwide that make up the PEN International network. PEN America works to ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others. Our strength is our Membership—a nationwide community of more than 4,500 novelists, journalists, nonfiction writers, editors, poets, essayists, playwrights, publishers, translators, agents, and other writing professionals, as well as devoted readers and supporters who join with them to carry out PEN America’s mission. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. PEN America Literary Awards Founded in 1963, the PEN America Literary Awards honor the most outstanding voices in literature across diverse genres, including fiction, poetry, science writing, essays, sports writing, biography, children’s literature, and drama. With the help of our partners, PEN America confers over 20 distinct awards, fellowships, and grants each year, awarding over $370,000 to writers and translators annually. The PEN America Literary Awards program celebrates literary excellence, encourages global discourse, champions important voices, and brings new books to life through our publication awards. From exciting new voices to underrecognized masters of their craft, PEN America honors challenging, thought-provoking, genre-defying writers. PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection The PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection honors an exceptionally talented fiction writer whose debut book, a collection of short stories, represents distinguished literary achievement and suggests great promise for a second work of literary fiction. The winner will receive a $25,000 cash prize intended to allow significant time and resources with which to pursue subsequent work. The PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize was established in memory of Robert W. Bingham, who died in 1999 at the age of 33, to commemorate his support of young writers, his love of literature, and his contribution to literary fiction. All winners, finalists, and longlisters for this award are eligible to receive PEN America’s official emblems

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. PLEASE NOTE: This prize will honor a debut writer’s short story collection, which is also the writer’s first published book. The candidate’s first (and only the first) collection of short fiction must have been published by a U.S. trade publisher between January 1 and December 31 of the applicable calendar year. Eligible books must be written by a single, living author. Candidates must be U.S. residents; American citizenship is not required. There are no restrictions on the candidate’s age or on the style of their work as long as it is a collection of individual short stories. If you submit a book for this award, you may not submit it for any additional PEN America Literary Award, with the exception of the PEN Open Book Award. Please note that the PEN/Faulkner Award is not considered a PEN America Literary Award.Only publishers with offices located within the U.S. are considered U.S. publishers. The only book award open to publishers outside the U.S. is the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award.PEN America will only accept submissions from publishers or literary agents.PEN America Members are eligible for our Awards and Grants, but will not be given preferential consideration.

Ineligibility

Self-published books are ineligible for the PEN America Literary Awards.Books with more than one original author are ineligible for the PEN America Literary Awards. Authors may not submit their own books.Writers who are also current PEN America staff or interns, trustees, or chairs of Member committees are not eligible for any of the Awards and/or Grants offered by the Literary Awards Program. Additionally, all current members of the Literary Awards Committee are ineligible.