Author Sergio de la Pava's self-published debut novel "A Naked Singularity" has won the 2013 PEN/Robert W Bingham award.

After failing to impress mainstream publishers, author Sergio de la Pava self-published his debut novel "A Naked Singularity" on Xlibris in 2008. The novel, whose story revolves around a Manhattan public defense lawyer, has won the 2013 PEN/Robert W Bingham award for debut fiction. The award is worth $25,000.

"Every year PEN's literary awards recognize the brightest lights in literary fiction and nonfiction and honor the sustained careers of writers who are distinguished in their fields, raising awareness for a diverse array of outstanding books," said PEN President Peter Godwin in a press release.

"These awards represent the best of PEN's work in defense of free expression throughout the world-fighting censorship, promoting translations into English, and honoring both the new and well-known authors who make up the core of PEN as an organization. Their voices amplify our advocacy work."

Katherine Boo will take home $10,000 for winning the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award in the Nonfiction category. Her book, "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" is an account of life in a Mumbai slum, reported The Guardian.

There are two other PEN awards of $10,000 each. Robert Hass bagged the 'PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay, "What Light Can Do" ( a collection of essays) and Leonard Mlodinow won the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award for "Subliminal."

"We owe a special thanks to our dedicated judges who demonstrate their critical acumen and discerning tastes in choosing such accomplished work each year from an ever-growing number of submissions," said Godwin. "We are proud to honor the writers they have selected in this way."

The PEN Awards will be presented at a ceremony in New York, Oct. 21. The organization will present 16 prizes, giving away nearly $150,000 to writers, editors and translators. The shortlist was announced in July.