PEN America will roll out the longlisted titles for the 2017 PEN America Literary Awards during the week of December 5-9. Each day, longlists for one to two book prizes– highlighting excellence across a range of genres including debut fiction, essay, science writing, sportswriting, biography, translation, and non-fiction–will be announced on PEN America’s website and social media.

In this post-election period, creative expression is imbued with heightened urgency as deepening divisions in our society and cultural life have become increasingly transparent. The PEN America Literary Awards longlists highlight more than ninety distinct voices across literary genres that have contributed to a greater understanding of the diversity in human experience.

Finalists for all book awards will be announced on January 18, and winners for many of the awards will be announced on February 22. All winners will be honored at the 2017 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony in a ceremony at The New School’s Tishman Auditorium in New York City on March 27.

The full longlist announcement schedule will be as follows:

Monday, Dec. 5:          PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction
PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award

Tuesday, Dec. 6:         PEN Open Book Award 
PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing

Wednesday, Dec. 7:   PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay
PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography

Thursday, Dec. 8:        PEN Award for Poetry in Translation
PEN Translation Prize

Friday, Dec. 9:            PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction

The complete list of longlisted titles will be updated daily and available at PEN.org/2017-pen-literary-awards-longlists

For more than 50 years, the PEN Literary Awards have honored many of the most outstanding voices in literature across such diverse fields as fiction, poetry, science writing, essays, sports writing, biography, children’s literature, translation, and drama. With the help of its partners and supporters, PEN will confer 22 distinct awards, fellowships, grants, and prizes in 2017, awarding nearly $315,000 to writers and translators.

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PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at PEN.org