Championing the Breadth and Power of Fiction
The work of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation began in 1980, when National Book Award-winner Mary Lee Settle set out to create a new prize for fiction in the United States. Judged entirely by writers, free of commercial influence, the award was named for William Faulkner, who had used his Nobel Prize funds to establish a prize for younger artists. In the 45 years since, the PEN/Faulkner Award has become one of the top three national awards for fiction, celebrating a diverse list of authors and recognizing works that represent the highest achievement in the art form, and the PEN/Faulkner Foundation has significantly expanded the scope of its work.
In 1985, PEN/Faulkner established itself as an independent non-profit arts organization and began hosting a series of public fiction readings, bringing writers to DC to share their work. After four decades, those readings have evolved into a wide variety of literary programs that bring authors into conversation with each other and with avid literary audiences both in DC and nationwide.
In 1988, the organization launched a new prize: the PEN/Bermard and Ann Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. The prize is given annually to a writer who demonstrates dedication to the craft of the short story and whose stories are exceptionally well-realized. Over the decades, the PEN/Malamud Award has become one of the nation’s most significant literary prizes for the form.
In 1989, PEN/Faulkner launched its first education program, Writers in Schools, sending writers into DC classrooms to visit with students. In the ensuing years, our education programs have grown to provide thousands of students in Title I public and charter schools across the city with free, culturally-relevant books, author visits, and professional writing instruction, while also supporting more than 100 local writers through paid teaching opportunities. In 2017, we also established Nuestras Voces, an initiative that brings Latino-centric versions of our education programs to the students we work with, allowing us to further serve the educational and literary needs of bilingual students and English Language Learners in DC.
Most recently, in 2020, the organization created a new literary distinctionon the occasion of its 40th anniversary: the PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion. This commendation is presented in recognition of devoted literary advocacy and a commitment to inspiring new generations of readers and writers.