For distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).
Awarded to "The Hours" by Michael Cunningham (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
Also nominated as finalists in this category were: "Cloudsplitter" by Russell Banks (HarperFlamingo), and "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver (HarperFlamingo).