PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
1 appearances
-
Edition 14 (1989) Winner
Jane Hamilton
ジェーン・ハミルトン
Jane Hamilton
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1957-07-13 （Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Oak Park, Illinois (born and raised) → Orchard farmhouse, Wisconsin (adult residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist
- Active Years
- 1983-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton College | — | — | — | — | United States |
Carleton College
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award | The Book of Ruth | — | Hemingway Foundation / PEN | 受賞 |
| 1989 | Great Lakes College Association New Writers Award | The Book of Ruth | — | Great Lakes College Association | 受賞 |
| 1989 | Wisconsin Library Association Banta Book Award | The Book of Ruth | — | Wisconsin Library Association | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Oprah's Book Club selection | The Book of Ruth | — | Oprah's Book Club | 選出 |
| 1999 | Oprah's Book Club selection | A Map of the World | — | Oprah's Book Club | 選出 |
| 1999 | Orange Prize (shortlist) | The Short History of a Prince | — | Orange Prize | ノミネート（最終候補） |
| 2000 | Notable Wisconsin Author | — | — | Wisconsin Library Association | 選出 |
Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award
1988
Work:
The Book of Ruth
Organization:
Hemingway Foundation / PEN
Result:
受賞
Great Lakes College Association New Writers Award
1989
Work:
The Book of Ruth
Organization:
Great Lakes College Association
Result:
受賞
Wisconsin Library Association Banta Book Award
1989
Work:
The Book of Ruth
Organization:
Wisconsin Library Association
Result:
受賞
Oprah's Book Club selection
1996
Work:
The Book of Ruth
Organization:
Oprah's Book Club
Result:
選出
Oprah's Book Club selection
1999
Work:
A Map of the World
Organization:
Oprah's Book Club
Result:
選出
Orange Prize (shortlist)
1999
Work:
The Short History of a Prince
Organization:
Orange Prize
Result:
ノミネート（最終候補）
Notable Wisconsin Author
2000
Organization:
Wisconsin Library Association
Result:
選出
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Book of Ruth
1988 NovelA debut novel set in the American Midwest that explores family, forgiveness and personal redemption, with careful attention to rural community and character interiority.
familyforgivenessrural community
Adaptations
- [Television film] The Book of Ruth (TV film) / 不明 (2004)
A Map of the World
1994 NovelSet in rural Wisconsin, the novel examines family and community tensions after an accident gives rise to accusations of wrongdoing; adapted into a film.
guilt and suspicioncommunitymotherhood
Adaptations
- [Feature film] A Map of the World (film) / スコット・エリクソン (1999)
The Short History of a Prince
1998 NovelA novel that delves into family relationships and personal pasts; received critical recognition and appeared on several 'best of' lists.
family secretslossmemory
Disobedience
2000 NovelA 2000 novel exploring community and individual choices.
individual vs communitymoral choice
When Madeline Was Young
2006 NovelA novel centered on character growth and family history.
coming of agefamily
Laura Rider's Masterpiece
2009 NovelA story about art and family.
artfamily
The Excellent Lombards
2016 NovelA family saga about rise and decline set against changes in the local community.
family sagarural community
The Phoebe Variations
2025 NovelA recent novel (2025) addressing family and personal change (details not widely published).
familychange
Bibliography
- The Book of Ruth (1988)
- A Map of the World (1994)
- The Short History of a Prince (1998)
- Disobedience (2000)
- When Madeline Was Young (2006)
- Laura Rider's Masterpiece (2009)
- The Excellent Lombards (2016)
- The Phoebe Variations (2025)
Adaptations
- A Map of the World (1999 film)
- The Book of Ruth (2004 TV film)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical, detailed psychological portrayalfocus on rural landscapes and everyday detail
- Recurring Motifs
- familyguilt and forgivenessdynamics of rural communities
Legacy
Jane Hamilton is known for sympathetic portrayals of characters in rural Wisconsin settings, and for novels that explore family and moral dilemmas. Selections for Oprah's Book Club and film adaptations have broadened her popular impact.
Museums
- Oak Park River Forest Museum Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.
In Popular Culture
- Raised popular profile through selection in Oprah's Book Club
Quotes
-
Writing is my 'obsession' and I write every day.
Source: The Journal Times (interview) (2006) -
I like Jane Hamilton for her compassionate portrayals of characters most people would ridicule, and the way her books show the beauty of rural life without romanticizing it.
Source: Novelist Laura Moriarty (comment)
Trivia
- Born and raised in Oak Park; continues to live on an orchard farmhouse in Wisconsin.
- Says overhearing a professor's remark in college gave her confidence that she would write a novel one day.