Bellwether Prize

The Bellwether Prize, officially the PEN / Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, formerly known as the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, is a biennial award given by PEN America and Barbara Kingsolver to a U.S. citizen for a previously unpublished work of fiction that address issues of social justice. The prize was established by Kingsolver and is funded by her.^[1] Winning authors receive a US$25,000 award and a publishing contract, from which they receive royalties.^[2]

NicknameBellwether Prize

StatusActive

GenreLiterary award
(Award for unpublished fiction that addresses social justice issues)

Date2000; 26 years ago (2000)

Quick facts PEN / Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, Nickname ...

PEN / Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction
Nickname	Bellwether Prize
Status	Active
Genre	Literary award (Award for unpublished fiction that addresses social justice issues)
Date	2000; 26 years ago (2000)
Frequency	Bi-annually
Country	United States
Founder	Barbara Kingsolver
Most recent	2023
Previous event	2021
Next event	2025[a]
Organised by	PEN America
Prize money	US$25,000
Fabienne Josaphat

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Submissions are judged by a panel of authors whose work shows themes of social change. Authors who have served as judges include: Russell Banks, Martin Espada, Terry Karten, Maxine Hong Kingston, Ursula K. Le Guin, Barry Lopez, Toni Morrison, Ruth Ozeki, Grace Paley, and Anna Quindlen.

In May 2011, PEN America (formerly the PEN American Center) announced it would administer the prize, known as the PEN/Bellwether Prize.^[3] The award is one of many PEN awards sponsored by International PEN affiliates in over 145 PEN centres around the world. PEN America awards were characterized in 2005 as among the "major" American literary prizes.^[4]