Ernest Poole wrote His Family, the first novel to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1918.
Published in 1917, the novel follows a wealthy New York family through social and political changes during the early twentieth century. Its central figure, Roger Gale, tries to understand the different ambitions and values of his children. Poole drew on contemporary urban life rather than writing a historical romance.
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction was first awarded in 1918, when it was still called the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel. His Family therefore occupies a distinctive place in the award’s history: it was not merely an early winner, but the inaugural one. The prize later adopted its current name in 1948.
A common mix-up is confusing Poole’s award with the first Pulitzer Prize in any category. The Pulitzer Prizes began in 1917, but the fiction award’s first recipient was Poole. Poole later wrote novels including The Harbor, another work shaped by American social concerns.