The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction unveiled the longlist for its 2024 prize, which honors “the best published works of fiction by American permanent residents.”
James McBride was nominated for The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, which won last year’s Kirkus Prize for fiction and was named book of the year by both Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Also making the longlist was Jamel Brinkley’s story collection Witness, a finalist for the Kirkus Prize.
Emma Cline was nominated for The Guest, alongside Daniel Clowes for Monica, Henry Hoke for Open Throat, and Nishanth Injam for The Best Possible Experience. Also making the longlist were Claire Jiménez for What Happened to Ruthie Ramirez, Catherine Lacey for Biography of X, Alice McDermott for Absolution, and Colin Winnette for Users.
Louis Bayard, the committee chair for the awards, said in a statement, “This year’s list is a powerful reminder that American literature matters more than ever. We are delighted to celebrate these gifted authors and the multivarious worlds they have brought to life.”
The PEN/Faulkner Award was established in 1981. Previous winners include E.L. Doctorow for Billy Bathgate, Ha Jin for Waiting, Joan Silber for Improvement, and Deesha Philyaw for The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.
The five finalists for this year’s award will be announced in early March, and the winner will be revealed in April.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
