Our Mission
The PEN/Faulkner Foundation celebrates literature and fosters connections between readers and writers to enrich and inspire both individuals and communities.
Our Values
We are dedicated to the notion that our culture thrives when stories from a diverse variety of perspectives enrich our daily lives and when no voices are excluded from our conversations.
We believe the written word plays an essential role in contributing to civil discourse and in creating empathy within and among communities.
OUR HISTORY
Celebrating literature, enriching our community
The work of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation began in 1980, when National Book Award-winner Mary Lee Settle set out to create the largest annual peer-juried prize for fiction in the United States. The award was named for William Faulkner, who had used his Nobel Prize funds to establish a prize for younger writers, and PEN, the international writers’ organization.
Our Staff
Lacey N. Dunham
Director of Education Programs
Shahenda Helmy
Director of Literary Programs
Amanda Liaw
Media and Communications Associate
Gwydion Suilebhan
Executive Director
Adriana Thornton
Senior Education Programs Coordinator, Nuestras Voces
Our Board Members
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Board Chair
Susan Keselenko Coll
Board President
Bethanne Patrick
First Vice President
Tope Folarin
Vice President
Mary Haft
Vice President
Thomas Lloyd
Treasurer
Renée K. Gardner
Secretary
Elliot Ackerman
Board Member
Marie Arana
Board Member
Louis Bayard
Board Member
Katherine Boone
Board Member
Molly Elkin
Board Member
Lauren Francis-Sharma
Board Member
Susan Ginsburg
Board Member
Ginny Grenham
Board Member
Katherine Field Stephen
Board Member
Deborah Tannen
Board Member
Jung Yun
Board Member
Directors Emeriti
Mary Lee Settle, Founder
Conrad Cafritz
Thomas Caplan
H.G. Carrillo
Stephen Goodwin
Patricia Griffith
Nick Kotz
Beverly Lowry
Tracy McGillivary
E. Ethelbert Miller
Azar Nafisi
Frazier O’Leary
George Pelecanos
Diane Rehm
Susan Shreve
Susan Stamberg
Lou Stovall
Mary Kay Zuravleff
Mary Lee Settle, Founder
Conrad Cafritz
Thomas Caplan
H.G. Carrillo
Stephen Goodwin
Nick Kotz
Beverly Lowry
Tracy McGillivary
E. Ethelbert Miller
Azar Nafisi
Frazier O’Leary
George Pelecanos
Diane Rehm
Susan Shreve
Susan Stamberg
Lou Stovall
Mary Kay Zuravleff
Charles Baxter Wins the 2021 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story
Charles Baxter has been selected as the winner of the 2021 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. Given since 1988 in honor of the late Bernard Malamud, the award recognizes writers...
2021 PEN/Faulkner Award Celebration
The 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award Celebration was held on May 10, 2021, and honored this year's distinguished books and authors. This exquisite literary evening featured original readings by our...
Enjoy the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award Celebration with Us!
Though the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award Celebration is virtual this year, we are still incredibly excited to honor the year's best in fiction with you. Join our team in setting the mood by streaming our...
Join Our Mailing List
To make sure you never miss out on one of PEN/Faulkner’s inspiring literary programs and award celebrations, sign up for our email list.