The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize is an annual award presented by The Center for Fiction, a non-profit organization in New York City, to the best debut novel. Publishers nominate English-language works by first-time United States novelists.[1][2] There is a two-tiered selection process for the prize. First, the nominees are read by a network of booklovers (referred to as Common Readers), including librarians, writers, staff, members, and friends of The Center for Fiction, giving rise to a long list of recommended books. Next, the Common Readers' long list is forwarded to a committee of distinguished American writers, who select a short list, typically comprising five to seven titles, which is publicly announced in the late summer. All finalists are invited to read from their works at a First Novel Fête, and the winning novel is then announced at an awards event—both events usually occurring in December. The winning novelist receives a cash prize of $10,000; each finalist receives $1,000.[3]
The award is currently called the Flaherty-Dunnam prize, named after the journalist Ray Flaherty. It was previously known as the John Sergeant, Sr. prize.
Winners of the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize:[4]
The 2011 shortlist included novels by David Vann, Ida Hattemer-Higgins, Carolyn Cooke, Bonnie Nadzam, Ismet Prcic, Sarah Braunstein, and Alexi Zentner.[1][5]