The Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize is an annual award presented by The Center for Fiction, a non-profit organization in New York City, for the best debut novel. From 2006 to 2011, it was called the John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Prize in honor of John Turner Sargent, Sr., and, from 2011 to 2014, the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize, named after Center for Fiction board member Nancy Dunnan and her journalist father Ray W. Flaherty.[1]
Publishers nominate English-language works by first-time United States novelists.[2][3] There is a two-tiered selection process for the prize. First, the nominees are read by a network of booklovers (referred to as Common Readers), including librarians, writers, staff, members, and friends of The Center for Fiction, giving rise to a long list of recommended books. Next, the Common Readers' long list is forwarded to a committee of distinguished American writers, who select a short list, typically comprising five to seven titles, which is publicly announced in the late summer. All finalists are invited to read from their works at a First Novel Fête, and the winning novel is then announced at an awards event—both events usually occurring in December. The winning novelist receives a cash prize of $10,000; each finalist receives $1,000.[4]
Recipients
Year | Author | Title | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Marisha Pessl | Special Topics in Calamity Physics | Winner | [5][6] |
Marie Arana | Cellophane | Shortlist | [5] | |
Nell Freudenberger | The Dissident | |||
Peter Orner | The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo | |||
Patrick Ryan | Send Me | |||
2007 | Junot Díaz | The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao | Winner | [7][6] |
Daniel Alarcón | Lost City Radio | Shortlist | [7][8] | |
Mischa Berlinski | Fieldwork | |||
Jon Clinch | Finn | |||
Nathan Englander | The Ministry of Special Cases | |||
Austin Grossman | Soon I Will Be Invincible | |||
Ehud Havazelet | Bearing the Body | |||
2008 | Hannah Tinti | The Good Thief | Winner | [9][6] |
Stefan Merrill Block | The Story of Forgetting | Shortlist | [9] | |
Rivka Galchen | Atmospheric Disturbances | |||
Beth Helms | Dervishes | |||
Peter Manseau | Songs for the Butcher's Daughter | |||
Ed Park | Personal Days | |||
David Wroblewski | The Story of Edgar Sawtelle | |||
2009 | John Pipkin | Woodsburner | Winner | [10] |
Paul Harding | Tinkers | Shortlist | [10] | |
Yiyun Li | The Vagrants | |||
Philipp Meyer | American Rust | |||
Patrick Somerville | The Cradle | |||
2010 | Karl Marlantes | Matterhorn | Winner | [11] |
Michelle Hoover | The Quickening | Shortlist | [11] | |
Jessica Francis Kane | The Report | |||
Maaza Mengiste | Beneath the Lion's Gaze | |||
Julie Orringer | The Invisible Bridge | |||
Drew Perry | This Is Just Exactly Like You | |||
Adam Ross | Mr. Peanut | |||
2011 | Bonnie Nadzam | Lamb | Winner | [12][13] |
Sarah Braunstein | The Sweet Relief of Missing Children | Shortlist | [12][14] | |
Carolyn Cooke | Daughters of the Revolution | |||
Ida Hattemer-Higgins | The History of History | |||
Ismet Prcic | Shards | |||
David Vann | Caribou Island | |||
Alexi Zentner | Touch | |||
2012 | Ben Fountain | Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk | Winner | [15][16] |
Patrick Flanery | Absolution | Shortlist | [15] | |
Tupelo Hassman | Girlchild | |||
Peter Heller | The Dog Stars | |||
Eowyn Ivey | The Snow Child | |||
Kevin Powers | The Yellow Birds | |||
Maggie Shipstead | Seating Arrangements | |||
G. Willow Wilson | Alif the Unseen | |||
2013 | Margaret Wrinkle | Wash | Winner | [17][18] |
Lea Carpenter | Eleven Days | Shortlist | [17][19] | |
Marjorie Celona | Y | |||
Christopher Hacker | The Morels | |||
Mitchell S. Jackson | The Residue Years | |||
Anthony Marra | A Constellation of Vital Phenomena | |||
Kirstin Scott | Motherlunge | |||
Taiye Selasi | Ghana Must Go | |||
2014 | Tiphanie Yanique | Land of Love and Drowning | Winner | [20][21] |
Rene Denfeld | The Enchanted | Shortlist | [22][20] | |
Smith Henderson | Fourth of July Creek | |||
Vanessa Manko | The Invention of Exile | |||
Matthew Thomas | We Are Not Ourselves | |||
Ted Thompson | The Land of Steady Habits | |||
Josh Weil | The Great Glass Sea | |||
2015 | Viet Thanh Nguyen | The Sympathizer | Winner | [23][24][25] |
Angela Flournoy | The Turner House | Shortlist | [23][26] | |
Tanwi Nandini Islam | Bright Lines | |||
Sophie McManus | The Unfortunates | |||
Ben Metcalf | Against the Country | |||
Chigozie Obioma | The Fishermen | |||
Lori Ostlund | After the Parade | |||
2016 | Kia Corthron | The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter | Winner | [27][28] |
Emma Cline | The Girls | Shortlist | [27][29] | |
Nicole Dennis-Benn | Here Comes the Sun | |||
Kaitlyn Greenidge | We Love You, Charlie Freeman | |||
Garth Greenwell | What Belongs to You | |||
Yaa Gyasi | Homegoing | |||
Krys Lee | How I Became a North Korean | |||
2017 | Julie Lekstrom Himes | Mikhail and Margarita | Winner | [30][31] |
Bethany Ball | What to Do About the Solomons | Shortlist | [30][32] | |
Jaroslav Kalfař | Spaceman of Bohemia | |||
Annabelle Kim | Tiger Pelt | |||
Simeon Marsalis | As Lie Is to Grin | |||
Susan Rivers | The Second Mrs. Hockaday | |||
Kaitlin Solimine | Empire of Glass | |||
2018 | Tommy Orange | There There | Winner | [33][34][35][36] |
Jen Beagin | Pretend I'm Dead | Shortlist | [33][37] | |
Akwaeke Emezi | Freshwater | |||
Lisa Halliday | Asymmetry | |||
Tadzio Koelb | Trenton Makes | |||
Jordy Rosenberg | Confessions of the Fox | |||
Nafkote Tamirat | The Parking Lot Attendant | |||
2019 | De'Shawn Charles Winslow | In West Mills | Winner | [38][39][35] |
Chia-Chia Lin | The Unpassing | Shortlist | [40][41][42] | |
Julia Phillips | Disappearing Earth | |||
Pitchaya Sudbanthad | Bangkok Wakes to Rain | |||
Ocean Vuong | On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous | |||
Joe Wilkins | Fall Back Down When I Die | |||
Lauren Wilkinson | American Spy | |||
2020 | Raven Leilani | Luster | Winner | [43][44][35] |
Amina Cain | Indelicacy | Shortlist | [45][43][46][47] | |
Maisy Card | These Ghosts Are Family | |||
Hilary Leichter | Temporary | |||
Corey Sobel | The Redshirt | |||
Douglas Stuart | Shuggie Bain | |||
C Pam Zhang | How Much of These Hills Is Gold | |||
2021 | Kirstin Valdez Quade | The Five Wounds | Winner | [48][49] |
Priyanka Champaneri | The City of Good Death | Shortlist | [48][50] | |
Linda Rui Feng | Swimming Back to Trout River | |||
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers | The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois | |||
Violet Kupersmith | Build Your House Around My Body | |||
Patricia Lockwood | No One Is Talking About This | |||
Jackie Polzin | Brood | |||
2022 | Noor Naga | If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English | Winner | [51][52][53] |
Daphne Palasi Andreades | Brown Girls | Shortlist | [54][55][56] | |
Jessamine Chan | The School for Good Mothers | |||
Isabel Kaplan | NSFW | |||
Alyssa Songsiridej | Little Rabbit | |||
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan | Big Girl | |||
Vauhini Vara | The Immortal King Rao | |||
2023 | Tyriek White | We Are a Haunting | Winner | [57] |
Elizabeth Acevedo | Family Lore | Shortlist | [58] | |
Christine Byl | Lookout | |||
Eskor David Johnson | Pay as You Go | |||
Jamila Minnicks | Moonrise Over New Jessup | |||
Tracey Rose Peyton | Night Wherever We Go | |||
Esther Yi | Y/N |
See also
References
- ↑ The First Novel Prize Archived 2015-05-30 at the Wayback Machine The Center for Fiction website, The Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize, accessed 2015/06/03.
- ↑ Archived 2012-02-02 at the Wayback Machine Poets & Writers Magazine, Grants and Awards, accessed 2015/06/03.
- ↑ Archived 2017-11-09 at the Wayback Machine Lizzie Simon, "Agent Wins Literary Prize," Wall Street Journal, Dec. 8, 2010, accessed 2015/06/03
- ↑ The Center for Fiction website, Flaherty-Dunnam Submission Process, accessed 2014/11/27.
- 1 2 "2006 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- 1 2 3 "ABA and the Center for Fiction Announce Flaherty-Dunnan Partnership". Publishers Weekly. 2012-01-31. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "2007 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Sargent First Novel Prize; Medals of Honor". Shelf Awareness. October 31, 2007. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "2008 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- 1 2 "2009 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- 1 2 "2010 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- 1 2 "2011 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel; Bad Sex in Fiction". Shelf Awareness. December 8, 2011. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "Awards: Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize Shortlist". Shelf Awareness . August 24, 2011. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "2012 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Winner". Shelf Awareness. December 13, 2012. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "2013 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Center for Fiction Winners". Shelf Awareness. December 13, 2013. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "Awards: Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize Short List". Shelf Awareness. September 5, 2013. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "2014 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Flaherty/Dunnan; Slate/Whiting Best Second Novels". Shelf Awareness. December 10, 2014. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "Awards: Flaherty-Dunnan; Ngaio Marsh; Lane Anderson". Shelf Awareness. September 4, 2014. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "2015 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Center for Fiction Debut; Grammy Nominations". Shelf Awareness . December 10, 2015. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "Viet Thanh Nguyen Wins Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize". Publishers Weekly. December 9, 2015. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Awards: Center for Fiction First Novel Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. August 19, 2015. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "2016 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Grammy Nominations; Center for Fiction First Novel; Canadian Nonfiction". Shelf Awareness. December 7, 2016. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
- ↑ "Awards: First Novel; Toronto Book". Shelf Awareness. September 1, 2016. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "2017 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Center for Fiction First Novel". Shelf Awareness. December 7, 2017. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "Awards: Center for Fiction First Novel; SCBWI Book Launch". Shelf Awareness. August 30, 2017. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "2018 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Center for Fiction First Novel; Geoffrey Faber Memorial". Shelf Awareness. December 13, 2018. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 3 Towley, Tracy Shapley (2022-07-28). "The Center for Fiction 2022 First Novel Prize Longlist Announced". BOOK RIOT. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "Tommy Orange Wins Center for Fiction First Novel Prize". Publishers Weekly. 2018-12-12. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "Awards: Ottaway; Center for Fiction First Novel; National Translation". Shelf Awareness. September 6, 2018. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
- ↑ "2019 First Novel Prize". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Center for Fiction; Edward Stanford Travel Writing". Shelf Awareness. December 12, 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "7 Authors Nominated for First Novel Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ↑ "Awards: Center for Fiction First Novel". Shelf Awareness. September 27, 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "Here are the seven shortlisted debut novels for the 2019 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize". Literary Hub. 2019-09-26. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "2020 First Novel Prize: The Short List". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ↑ "Awards: Center for Fiction Winners". Shelf Awareness. December 7, 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-02-20. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "Awards: Center for Fiction Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. October 8, 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ Saka, Rasheeda (2020-10-01). "Here's the shortlist for the Center for Fiction's 2020 First Novel Prize". Literary Hub. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "2020 First Novel Prize Shortlist". Locus Online. 2020-10-01. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- 1 2 "Kirstin Valdez Quade Wins 2021 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize". Publishers Weekly. December 8, 2021. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ↑ "Awards: David Cohen Literature Prize, Center for Fiction Winners". Shelf Awareness. December 14, 2021. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ Koirala, Snigdha (2021-09-28). "Here is the shortlist for the 2021 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize". Literary Hub. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ Schaub, Michael (2022-12-08). "Noor Naga Wins First Novel Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
- ↑ "Noor Naga Wins The Center for Fiction 2022 First Novel Prize for If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
- ↑ "Awards: Waterstones Book of the Year; Center for Fiction First Novel Winner". Shelf Awareness. December 7, 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ "2022 First Novel Prize: The Shortlist". The Center for Fiction. Archived from the original on 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
- ↑ "Awards: Prix Voltaire Winner; Center for Fiction First Novel Shortlist". Shelf Awareness . September 30, 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
- ↑ Segal, Corinne (2022-09-29). "Here's the shortlist for the Center for Fiction's 2022 First Novel Prize". Literary Hub. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ↑ Schaub, Michael (2023-12-08). "Tyriek White Wins First Novel Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ↑ Schaub, Michael (2023-09-27). "Finalists for First Novel Prize Are Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
External links
- The First Novel Prize, official website.