William Saroyan International Prize for Writing

The William Saroyan International Prize for Writing is a biennial literary award for fiction and nonfiction in the spirit of William Saroyan by emerging writers. It was established by Stanford University Libraries and the William Saroyan Foundation to "encourage new or emerging writers rather than recognize established literary figures;"[1] the prize being $12,500.

The Saroyan Prize was first awarded in 2003 for "newly published works of fiction including novels, short stories, dramas or memoirs."[1] Starting with the second round of awards in 2005, separate awards have been given for fiction and nonfiction. With the exception of a three year gap between the second and third rounds of awards, the prize has been awarded every two years since it was established.

Recipients

General (2003)

The first year the award was presented, winners and finalists not separated into genres.

Award winners and finalists[2]
Year Author Title Result Ref.
2003 Jonathan Safran Foer Everything is Illuminated Winner [3]
Hari Kunzru The Impressionist Finalist [4]
Adam Rapp Nocturne Finalist [5]

Fiction (2005-present)

Fiction award winners, finalists, and shortlists[2]
Year Author Title Result Ref.
2005 George Hagen The Laments Winner [6]
Edward Docx The Calligrapher Finalist [6]
Aris Janigian Bloodvine Finalist [6]
Julie Orringer How to Breathe Underwater Finalist [6]
Mark Arax and Rick Wartzman The King of California Winner [6]
Tom Bissell Chasing the Sea Finalist [6]
David Laskin The Children's Blizzard Finalist [6]
2008 Nicole Krauss The History of Love Winner [7]
Pamela Erens The Understory Finalist [7]
Richard Lange Dead Boys Finalist [7]
2010 Rivka Galchen Atmospheric Disturbances Winner [8]
Elizabeth Kelly apologize, apologize! Finalist [8]
Peter Neofotis Concord, Virginia: A Southern Town in Eleven Stories Finalist [8]
2012 Daniel Orozco Orientation and Other Stories Winner [9]
Ben Lerner Leaving the Atocha Station Finalist [9]
Miroslav Penkov East of the West: A Country in Stories Finalist [9]
2014 Kiese Laymon Long Division Winner [10]
Eric Lundgren The Facades Finalist [10]
Alexander Maksik A Marker to Measure Drift Finalist [10]
2016 T. Geronimo Johnson Welcome to Braggsville Winner [11][12]
Amina Gautier Now We Will Be Happy Finalist [11]
John Keene Counternarratives Finalist [11]
2018 Hernan Diaz In the Distance Winner [13][14]
Scott Shibuya Brown The Traders Finalist [13]
Shanthi Sekaran Lucky Boy Finalist [13]
2020 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Friday Black Winner [15]
Ayesha Harruna Attah The Hundred Wells of Salaga Finalist [15]
Helen DeWitt Some Trick Finalist [15]
2022 Claire Oshetsky Chouette Winner [16][17]
Siamak Vossoughi A Sense of the Whole Finalist [16]
Danielle Evans The Office of Historical Corrections Finalist [16]

Non-fiction (2005-present)

Non-fiction award winners, finalists, and shortlists[2]
Year Author Title Result Ref.
2005 Mark Arax and Rick Wartzman The King of California Winner [6]
Tom Bissell Chasing the Sea Finalist [6]
David Laskin The Children's Blizzard Finalist [6]
2008 Kiyo Sato Dandelion Through the Crack: The Sato Family Quest for the American Dream Winner [7]
Adam David Miller Ticket to Exile Finalist [7]
John Moir Return of the Condor: The Race to Save Our Largest Bird from Extinction Finalist [7]
2010 Linda Himelstein The King of Vodka: The Story of Pyotr Sminov and the Upheaval of an Empire Winner [8]
Brian Brett Trauma Farm Finalist [8]
Maryalice Huggins Aesop's Mirror Finalist [8]
2012 Elisabeth Tova Bailey The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating Winner [9]
Arion Golmakani Solacers Finalist [9]
John Jeremiah Sullivan Pulphead Finalist [9]
2014 Margalit Fox The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code Winner [10]
Daniel James Brown The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics Finalist [10]
2016 Lori Jakiela Belief is its Own Kind of Truth, Maybe Winner [11]
Elena Gorokhova Russian Tattoo Finalist [11]
Susan Southard Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War Finalist [11]
2018 Robert Moor On Trails: an Exploration Winner [13]
Angela Palm Riverine: a Memoir from Anywhere but Here Finalist [13]
Edward Wilson-Lee Shakespeare in Swahililand: Adventures with the Ever-living Poet Finalist [13]
2020 Jennifer Croft Homesick: A Memoir Winner [15]
Alexander Chee How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays Finalist [15]
Carmen Maria Machado In the Dream House Finalist [15]
2022 Wayétu Moore The Dragons, the Giant, the Women Winner [16][17]
Shawna Kay Kin Finalist [16]

References

  1. ^ a b "University jointly sponsors new Saroyan Writing Prize to honor emerging authors: 04/02". 23 January 2023. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Prize Winners | Saroyan Prize". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  3. ^ "2003 winner". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  4. ^ "2003 finalist | Hari Kunzru | The Impressionist". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  5. ^ "2003 finalist: Adam Rapp | Nocturne". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "2005". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "2008". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "2010". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "2012". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  10. ^ a b c d e "2014". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "2016". Stanford Libraries. Archived from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  12. ^ "Awards: Simpson Family; Green Carnation". Shelf Awareness. 2017-05-02. Archived from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  13. ^ a b c d e f ""In the Distance" and "On Trails" win the 2018 Stanford Libraries' William Saroyan International Prize for Writing". Stanford Libraries. 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  14. ^ Lefferts, Daniel (2022-03-04). "In Hernan Diaz's New Novel, Money Changes Everything". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and Jennifer Croft awarded the 2020 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing by Stanford Libraries". Stanford Libraries. 2020-12-09. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Claire Oshetsky and Wayétu Moore awarded the 2022 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing". Stanford Libraries. 2022-08-24. Archived from the original on 2024-02-29. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  17. ^ a b "Awards: Saroyan Winners". Shelf Awareness. 2022-08-30. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-05-29.