PEN/Faulkner Award 2024: Complete list of winners

The 2024 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction has gone to Claire Jiménez for her debut novel What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez, a sharp and propulsive exploration of family, memory, and disappearance in a Latino community. The PEN/Faulkner Award, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for American fiction, celebrates the year’s finest literary work and stands as a major marker in the publishing calendar. Jiménez’s win marks a significant recognition for her visceral storytelling and the way she navigates the complexities of grief and mystery through the interconnected voices of her characters.

Jiménez joins a distinguished lineage of PEN/Faulkner Award winners known for their unflinching examinations of American life. Her novel examines what happens when a young Latina woman vanishes, unraveling through the perspectives of those left behind—a narrative approach that speaks to both the intimate and the investigative. This year’s recognition underscores the continued vitality of the PEN/Faulkner Award in championing authors who push literary boundaries while grappling with urgent social questions.

Below, you’ll find the complete list of 2024 PEN/Faulkner Award winners and finalists:

Fiction

• What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez