Young Lions

The New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award is a $10,000 prize given annually to an American writer age 35 or younger for a novel or collection of short stories.  Created in 2001 by Ethan Hawke, Hannah Griswold McFarland, Rick Moody, and Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, the award promotes and celebrates publicly the work of emerging young writers.  The aim of the prize is twofold: to make a difference in the lives of writers as they begin their careers, and to encourage innovation in contemporary fiction. 

"It's essential for writers in the early part of their publishing lives to have opportunities for support and ratification," said Moody, the acclaimed author of The Ice Storm. "The Young Lions Fiction Award represents a significant and exciting new source for this ratification. And it could come from no more important venue than The New York Public Library."

The Young Lions Fiction Award is made possible by an endowment created with generous gifts from Russell Abrams, Nina Collins, Ethan Hawke, Stephan Loewentheil, Hannah and Gavin McFarland, Rick Moody, Andrea Olshan, and Jennifer Rudolph Walsh.


We are now accepting nominations for the 2010 Award.  Please click here for the submission guidelines and nomination form

We will accept submissions until August 28th, 2009.  For more information please contact the Young Lions office at 212-930-0885 or younglions@nypl.org.


2009 Finalists:
Jon Fasman, The Unpossessed City
Rivka Galchen, Atmospheric Disturbances
Sana Krasikov, One More Year
Zachary Mason, The Lost Books of the Odyssey
Salvatore Scibona, The End - winner


2008 Finalists:
Ron Currie, Jr., God is Dead - winner
Ellen Litman, The Last Chicken in America
Peter Nathaniel Malae, Teach the Free Man
Dinaw Mengestu, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears
Emily Mitchell, The Last Summer of the World


2007 Finalists:
Chris Adrian, The Children's Hospital
Kevin Brockmeier, The Brief History of the Dead
Tony D'Souza, Whiteman
Olga Grushin, The Dream Life of Sukhanov - winner
Karen Russell, St. Lucy's Home For Girls Raised By Wolves


2006 Finalists:
Uzodinma Iweala, Beasts of No Nation - winner
Rattawut Lapcharoensap, Sightseeing
Kelly Link, Magic for Beginners
Ander Monson, Other Electricities
Eric Puchner, Music Through the Floor


2005 Finalists:
Marc Bojanowski, The Dog Fighter
Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, Madeleine is Sleeping
Stephen Elliott, Happy Baby
Andrew Sean Greer, The Confessions of Max Tivoli - winner
Aaron Gwynn, Dog on the Cross


2004 Finalists:
Jordan Ellenberg, The Grasshopper King
Susan Choi, American Woman
Lara Vapnyar, There Are Jews in My House
Maile Meloy, Liars and Saints
Monique Truong, The Book of Salt - winner


2003 Finalists:
Anthony Doerr, The Shell Collector - winner
Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated - winner
Adam Johnson, Emporium
Ben Marcus, Notable American Women
Peter Rock, The Ambidextrist


2002 Finalists:
David Czucklewski, The Muse Asylum
Allegra Goodman, Paradise Park
Brady Udall, The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint
Peter Orner, Esther Stories
Colson Whitehead, John Henry Days - winner


2001 Finalists:
Mark Danielewski, House of Leaves - winner
David Ebershoff, The Danish Girl
Myla Goldberg, Bee Season
Heidi Julavits, The Mineral Palace
Akhil Sharma, An Obedient Father
Darin Strauss, Chang and Eng


This prize is part of the Library's Young Lions Program, which is a membership group for people in their 20s and 30s who are committed to supporting the organization and to celebrating young writers and artists who are making an impact on this city's cultural life.

For more information on the Young Lions Fiction Award Fund, please contact the Young Lions office at 212-930-0885 or younglions@nypl.org.

 

 

 

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