Edward Lewis Wallant Award
えどわーど・るいす・うぉらんとしょう
An annual literary award presented by the University of Hartford's Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies, given to fiction of significance to American Jews (established 1962). One of the oldest and most prestigious Jewish literary awards in the United States.
- Established
- 1962
- Organizer
- University of Hartford (Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies)
- Category
- General Fiction and Popular Fiction
- Selection Method
- Selection
- Target
- Professional
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Announcement Period
- around March
- Status
- Active
Description
The Edward Lewis Wallant Award was established by Fran and Irving Waltman to honor Edward Lewis Wallant, the gifted author of The Human Season and The Pawnbroker, who died unexpectedly in December 1962. Administered by the University of Hartford's Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies, the award is presented annually to a writer—preferably unrecognized—whose published fiction bears a kinship to Wallant's work and has significance for American Jewish history and culture. A panel of four critics serves as judges. Past recipients include Chaim Potok, Cynthia Ozick, Francine Prose, Nicole Krauss, Scott Nadelson (2024), and Benjamin Resnick (2025). Submissions are accepted with a November 1 deadline each year.
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection (review by committee) | Judging panel appointed by University of Hartford / Greenberg Center (individual judge names published each time) | — | Announced on University of Hartford's official website and press releases, etc. |
Criteria
- Fiction work of significance to American Jews
- Literary quality (style, structure, character depiction, etc.)
- Originality, depth of theme, cultural implications
Application Tips
Dos
- 作品を十分に校正・推敲して完成度を高める
- 応募要項や資格（言語・作品形態・提出方法）を事前に確認する
- 作品のテーマ性や文脈（ユダヤ文化・経験との関連）を明確にする
- カバーレターや著者略歴を簡潔に添える
- 指定フォーマットや締切を厳守する
Don''ts
- 締切を過ぎて提出する
- 未校正の原稿をそのまま提出する
- 応募条件に合わない形式で送る（例：指定外フォーマット）
- 提出情報の不備（連絡先不明など）を放置する
From Judges
- 独自の視点と確かな文体を重視する
- 人物描写や心理描写の説得力があるかを見ている
- 主題と形式の一貫性、作品が読者に与える示唆の深さを評価する
Related Awards
- National Jewish Book Award
- PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
- Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
- Sophie Brody Medal (A Jewish literature-related award)