The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction (named for William Faulkner, of course) has been conferring an annual national prize for the best work of fiction by an American author since 1981. From the initial prize of $1000 to Walter Abish, the PEN/Faulkner Awards have grown to become one of the major American prizes for fiction in the United States. Today, PEN/Faulkner grants $15,000 to its winner, the "first among equals," and $5000 to each of four other nominees, all of whom are selected each year by a panel of three noted fiction writers.

To date, five writers have been recognized with a first prize for collections of short stories. Most recently John Updike was named winner in 2004 for The Early Stories: 1953-1975.

Short Story Collection Wins 2003 PEN/Faulkner

Short Story Collection Wins 2004 PEN Faulker