PEN/Hemingway Award 1978: Complete list of winners

The PEN/Hemingway Award has long served as one of the literary world’s most prestigious honors for debut fiction, championing first-time novelists whose work demonstrates exceptional craft and originality. The award, founded in 1976 and sponsored by PEN America, carries the legacy of Ernest Hemingway’s commitment to bold, unflinching prose—making it a prize that emerging writers regard with particular reverence. When a debut novelist wins this recognition, it’s often a watershed moment, signaling to the publishing world and reading public alike that a significant new voice has arrived.

The 1978 PEN/Hemingway Award went to Darcy O’Brien for his debut novel A Way of Life, Like Any Other, a choice that exemplified the award’s mission to identify and celebrate transformative first books. O’Brien’s arrival on the literary scene came at a moment when the American novel was evolving in fascinating directions, and his win helped establish the PEN/Hemingway as the launching pad for writers who would go on to shape the literary landscape for decades to come.

Below, you’ll find the complete details about this landmark year in debut fiction.

Debut Novel

• A Way of Life, Like Any Other by Darcy O’Brien