The 5 W’s of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

Rooted in journalism and honoring excellence in the literary arts, here are the 2025 winner and finalists.


By Jennifer Shun   |  Updated August 7, 2025

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Hungarian-born, Joseph Pulitzer bequeathed a hefty sum to Columbia University in 1917 to launch a school of journalism and establish the Pulitzer Prize.  Over a century later, each spring the president of Columbia University acknowledges a distinguished work of fiction by an American author “preferably dealing with American life.” 

Past award winners have included Jayne Anne Phillips dark historical novel, Night Watch; Barbara Kingsolver’s poignant reimagining, Demon Copperhead; and The Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich’s polyphonic masterpiece; among many others.

This year’s selections exemplify “authors standing up for their values.” From a reconsideration of Huckleberry Finn and coming of age in cold-war hysteria to Jim Crow communities and national girl’s boxing, each title pushes the boundaries of modern-day storytelling.

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