Greenwell's award includes a $15,000 cash prize. Finalists, each of whom receive $5,000, include 'Pemi Aguda for “Ghostroots,” Susan Muaddi Darraj for "Behind You Is the Sea," Percival Everett for “James” and Danzy Senna for “Colored Television.”
Previous winners include Philip Roth, Ann Patchett and Yiyun Li.
The awards were established in 1981. They are named for the late Nobel laureate William Faulkner.