The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists is offered annually to an author of children’s or young adult fiction for a novel-in-progress. Previously called the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship, the award was developed to help writers whose work is of high literary caliber and assist a writer at a crucial moment in their career to complete their novel. The author of the winning manuscript, selected blindly by judges unaware of nominees’ names, will receive an award of $5,000.

Deadline: Submissions will be accepted from June 1 through August 1, 2024. Submissions will close at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on August 1.

Eligibility: 

• Candidates must be writers of children’s or young adult fiction.
• Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated significant sales.
• The writer’s previously published book(s) must be published by a U.S. trade publisher. Self-published works are ineligible.
• The submitted work must be a novel-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2025.

NOT eligible: Graphic novels and picture books. Manuscripts written by more than one person.

How to Submit
All documents should be in 12pt, Times New Roman, double-spaced, and with 1 inch margins.
 

This application requires two PDFs. The judges will only review the second, which asks for an outline, letter of utility, and manuscript. Please make sure these materials do not contain the author's name. Other materials are for internal use. 

    The online submission form requires the following:

• A first PDF containing:                             
  • A 1-2 page cover letter including a 1-3 sentence summary of the project, a description of how the candidate meets the criteria for the grant, and a list of the candidate’s published novel(s) for children and/or young adults.
  • 1-3 reviews of the candidate’s novel(s) from professional publications. These may be copies or links.
  • A 1-2 page letter of recommendation or support from an editor or fellow writer.
     

   

 A second, anonymous PDF containing:    

• The candidate’s name should not appear anywhere on this PDF to ensure anonymity.
• A 2-4 page outline of the novel-in-progress being submitted. 
• A 1-2 page description of how the funds will be used to complete the project. What will the candidate be able to accomplish with this funding that they could not do otherwise? Book sales, earnings, or other relevant information may be included here. 
• A 50–75 page manuscript sample. The candidate’s name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript sample, in order to ensure anonymity for the judging process.  
   

Please consult our FAQ page before directing any questions to awards@pen.org