PEN/Hemingway Award 1986: Complete list of winners

The PEN/Hemingway Award has long served as a crucial launching pad for debut fiction writers, and the 1986 selection proved no exception. Named after Ernest Hemingway and administered by the PEN American Center, this prestigious prize celebrates the most promising first novels of the year—work that demonstrates the kind of craft, originality, and emotional resonance that might have impressed Hemingway himself. The award carries particular weight in literary circles because it’s voted on by a panel of established authors, making it one of the few honors genuinely determined by working writers rather than critics or academics alone.

Alan V. Hewat’s Lady’s Time claimed the spotlight as that year’s debut novel winner, a selection that highlighted the judges’ appreciation for storytelling that balanced psychological depth with compelling narrative drive. For Hewat, the recognition marked a significant milestone—the kind of early validation that can define a writer’s career trajectory. The PEN/Hemingway Award winners often go on to publish extensively and win additional honors, making this inaugural selection an early indicator of literary prominence.

Below, you’ll find the complete details about the 1986 winners and what made their work stand out during that particular year in American letters.

Debut Novel

• Lady’s Time by Alan V. Hewat