Who was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction? July 8, 2020October 17, 2011 by Pamela Landy The first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction was Edith Wharton (1862-1937) in 1921 for The Age of Innocence. Related Answers Who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 1973? When was the Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction established? Who was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize in Literature? What works earned Edith Wharton her Pulitzer prizes? What novel won the first Pulitzer Prize? What play won the first Pulitzer Prize?