PEN/Faulkner Award 2015: Complete list of winners

The PEN/Faulkner Award has long distinguished itself as one of America’s most prestigious honors for fiction, celebrating literary excellence without the commercial pressures that sometimes influence other major prizes. The 2015 PEN/Faulkner Award continued that tradition by recognizing Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish, a debut novel that exemplifies the kind of ambitious, uncompromising storytelling the award champions. Lish’s work stands out for its unflinching examination of contemporary urban life and human resilience, marking a significant moment for a first-time author at this level of recognition.

The choice of Preparation for the Next Life as the 2015 Fiction winner reflects the PEN/Faulkner Award’s commitment to identifying breakthrough voices in American literature. Lish’s novel earned its place among distinguished winners by virtue of its formal precision and emotional depth, qualities that have defined the award’s selections across decades. For readers tracking the PEN Faulkner Award and staying current with major literary honors, this recognition signaled an important shift toward recognizing innovative debuts that challenge conventional narrative forms.

Below, you’ll find complete details about this year’s honorees and what their selections tell us about the state of contemporary American fiction.

Fiction

• Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish