The PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction is a career-founding prize, which promotes fiction that addresses issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships. Established by Barbara Kingsolver in 2000, it is awarded biennially to the author of a previously unpublished novel of high literary caliber that exemplifies the prize’s founding principles.
Competition Process
Applicants must submit an unpublished novel manuscript.Judging Criteria
The winning manuscript is chosen by a panel of three judges, including one editor representing Algonquin Books and two distinguished literary authors. Entries are judged blindly, to avoid any form of bias, and the identities of the authors of the submissions are not known by the judging panel until after the decision is finalized.Participate
Website: https://pen.org/penbellwether-prize-for-socially-engaged-fiction-winners/
Managing Organization: Pen America
Eligibility:
Submission must be an unpublished novel manuscript by a writer who has not sold more than 10,000 copies of a previously published book. The submission must be an original, previously unpublished novel manuscript, written by one person in English, and at least 80,000 words in length. Authors will have published at least three pieces of short fiction, poetry, or nonfiction in a literary journal, cultural website, or media outlet, which has undergone editorial review.
Submission must be an unpublished novel manuscript by a writer who has not sold more than 10,000 copies of a previously published book. The submission must be an original, previously unpublished novel manuscript, written by one person in English, and at least 80,000 words in length. Authors will have published at least three pieces of short fiction, poetry, or nonfiction in a literary journal, cultural website, or media outlet, which has undergone editorial review.
Registration Dates
June 14, 2020
5:01pm PDT
Registration Opens
August 31, 2020
5:01pm PDT