Erdrich and 4 debut novelists are PEN/Faulkner finalists

NEW YORK – Louise Erdrich and four debut novelists are among this year’s finalists for the PEN/Faulkner award for fiction.

Erdrich’s “LaRose” was nominated for the $15,000 prize, awards officials announced Tuesday. It’s her 15th novel, far more than the combined output of the other finalists: Garth Greenwell’s “What Belongs to You,” Viet Dinh’s “After Disasters,” Imbolo Mbue’s “Behold the Dreamers” and Sunil Yapa’s “Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist.”

The winner will be announced April 4. Previous winners include Philip Roth, Ann Patchett and Sherman Alexie.