Amazon.ca First Novel Award

The Amazon.ca First Novel Award, formerly the Books in Canada First Novel Award, is a Canadian literary award, co-presented by Amazon.ca and The Walrus to the best first novel in English published the previous year by a citizen or resident of Canada.[1] It has been awarded since 1976.[1]

The First Novel Award was founded by the literary magazine Books in Canada.[1] Between 1976 and 1994, the award was sponsored by SmithBooks. During this period, the award was known as the SmithBooks/Books in Canada First Novel Award.[1] When SmithBooks was acquired by Chapters, it became the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award.[1]

The award was reorganized when Books in Canada was acquired by Adrian and Olga Stein in 1995. The Steins retained a first novel editor, introduced a comprehensive first novel review program, and formalized the adjudication process.

The award was taken over by Amazon.com in 2009 and its name was changed to the current incarnation. The Amazon.com arrangement saw the prize award initially doubled to $10,000, and then increased to its current amount of $40,000, with shortlisted finalists each receiving over $6,000.

Winners and nominees

At different times in its history, the award has been presented early in the year for works published in the preceding year, late in the year for works published in the same year as the presentation, or mid-year for an eligibility period that straddled parts of both years. For clarity, the list below is organized by the year of presentation rather than the year of publication eligibility.

Year	Winner	Nominated
1977	Ian McLachlan, The Seventh Hexagram[2] Michael Ondaatje, Coming Through Slaughter[2]	Alice Boissoneau, Eileen McCullough David Kellum, The Falling World of Tristram Pocket Susan Kerslake, Middlewatch Sharon Riis, The True Story of Ida Johnson Carol Shields, Small Ceremonies Mary Soderstrom, The Descent of Andrew McPherson
1978	Oonah McFee, Sandbars[3]	Shane Dennison, Sidehill Gouger Pauline Gedge, Child of the Morning Jack Hodgins, The Invention of the World M. T. Kelly, I Do Remember the Fall Helen Levi, A Small Informal Dance Morley Torgov, The Abramsky Variations
1979	Joan Barfoot, Abra[1]	Michael Dorland, The Double-Cross Circuit Clive Doucet, Disneyland, Please Margaret Drury Gane, Parade on an Empty Street Kevin Major, Hold Fast Frank Paci, The Italians
1980	Clark Blaise, Lunar Attractions[4]	Victoria Branden, Mrs. Job Stan Dragland, Peckertracks Florence Evans, A Man Without Passion Shirley Faessler, Everything in the Window Katherine Govier, Random Descent Betty Lambert, Crossings
1981	W.D. Valgardson, Gentle Sinners[4]	Martyn Burke, Laughing War Susan Musgrave, The Charcoal Burners Graham Petrie, Seahorse Leon Rooke, Fat Woman
1982	Joy Kogawa, Obasan[1]	Jim Christy, Streethearts George Jonas, Final Decree Edward O. Phillips, Sunday's Child Gary Ross, Always Tip the Dealer
1983	W.P. Kinsella, Shoeless Joe[5]	Lorris Elliott, Coming for to Carry Nessa Rapoport, Preparing for Sabbath Geraldine Rahmani, Blue Ann Rosenberg, The Bee Book
1984	Heather Robertson, Willie: A Romance[4]	Robert G. Collins, Tolerable Levels of Violence Susan Swan, The Biggest Modern Woman in the World George Szanto, Not Working Wayne Tefs, Figures on a Wharf
1985	Geoffrey Ursell, Perdue, or How the West Was Lost[6]	Sharon Butala, Country of the Heart Douglas Glover, Precious John Gray, Dazzled Sara Stambaugh, I Hear the Reaper's Song Armin Wiebe, The Salvation of Yasch Siemens
1986	Wayne Johnston, The Story of Bobby O'Malley[7]	Susan Charlotte Haley, A Nest of Singing Birds Ann Ireland, A Certain Mr. Takahashi Frank Jones, Master and Maid Robert Walshe, Wales' Work
1987	Karen Lawrence, The Life of Helen Alone[8]	Jo Anne Williams Bennett, Downfall People Marc Diamond, Momentum David Gilmour, Back on Tuesday Paulette Jiles, The Late Great Human Road Show
1988	Marion Quednau, The Butterfly Chair[9]	D.F. Bailey, Fire Eyes W.D. Barcus, Squatters' Island Pauline Holdstock, The Blackbird's Song Seán Virgo, Selakhi
1989	Rick Salutin, A Man of Little Faith[10]	Neil Bissoondath, A Casual Brutality Joan Clark, The Victory of Geraldine Gull David Homel, Electrical Storms Janice Kulyk Keefer, Constellations Helen Fogwill Porter, January, February, June or July
1990	Sandra Birdsell, The Missing Child[11]	Marilyn Bowering, To All Appearances a Lady Barry Callaghan, The Way the Angel Spread Her Wings Jacqueline Dumas, Madeleine and the Angel Kristjana Gunnars, The Prowler Kenneth Radu, Distant Relations
1991	Nino Ricci, Lives of the Saints[12]	Gail Bowen, Deadly Appearances Rita Donovan, The Dark Jewels Glen Huser, Grace Lake Margot Livesey, Homework Carsten Stroud, Sniper's Moon
1992	Rohinton Mistry, Such a Long Journey[13]	Douglas Coupland, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture Ekbert Faas, Woyzeck's Head Michael Kenyon, Kleinberg Alberto Manguel, News From a Foreign Country Came
1993	John Steffler, The Afterlife of George Cartwright[14]	Douglas Anthony Cooper, Amnesia Carole Corbeil, Voice-Over Kenneth J. Harvey, Brud Greg Hollingshead, Spin Dry
1994	Deborah Joy Corey, Losing Eddie[15]	Catherine Bush, Minus Time Don Dickinson, The Crew Douglas How, Blow Up the Trumpet in the New Moon Carol Malyon, If I Knew I'd Tell You
1995	Shyam Selvadurai, Funny Boy[16]	Charles Foran, Kitchen Music Diane Schoemperlen, In the Language of Love Russell Smith, How Insensitive Cordelia Strube, Alex & Zee
1996	Keath Fraser, Popular Anatomy[17]	Diana Atkinson, Highways and Dancehalls Wayson Choy, The Jade Peony Larissa Lai, When Fox Is a Thousand Yan Li, Daughters of the Red Land
1997	Anne Michaels, Fugitive Pieces[18]	Gail Anderson-Dargatz, The Cure for Death by Lightning Ann-Marie MacDonald, Fall on Your Knees Yann Martel, Self Shani Mootoo, Cereus Blooms at Night
1998	Margaret Gibson, Opium Dreams[19]	Kim Echlin, Elephant Winter Allan Levine, The Blood Libel Rabindranath Maharaj, Homer in Flight Tim Wynveen, Angel Falls
1999	André Alexis, Childhood[20]	Loranne Brown, The Handless Maiden Tomson Highway, Kiss of the Fur Queen Terry Jordan, Beneath That Starry Place Kerri Sakamoto, The Electrical Field
2000	David Macfarlane, Summer Gone[21] Alan R. Wilson, Before the Flood[21]	Alistair MacLeod, No Great Mischief Donna Morrissey, Kit's Law Jim Munroe, Flyboy Action Figure Comes with Gasmask Catherine Simmons-Niven, A Fine Daughter
2001	Eva Stachniak, Necessary Lies[22]	Steven Galloway, Finnie Walsh Scott Gardiner, The Dominion of Wyley McFadden Susan Juby, Alice, I Think Lydia Kwa, This Place Called Absence
2002	Michael Redhill, Martin Sloane[23]	Dennis Bock, The Ash Garden Michael Crummey, River Thieves Marina Endicott, Open Arms Linda Little, Strong Hollow Elizabeth Ruth, Ten Good Seconds of Silence
2003	Mary Lawson, Crow Lake[24]	Christy Ann Conlin, Heave Aislinn Hunter, Stay Clint Hutzulak, The Beautiful Dead End Michael V. Smith, Cumberland Marnie Woodrow, Spelling Mississippi
2004	Michel Basilières, Black Bird[25]	Clayton Bailey, The Expedition John Bemrose, The Island Walkers Lisa Grekul, Kalyna's Song Bettina von Kampen, Blue Becomes You Edeet Ravel, Ten Thousand Lovers
2005	Colin McAdam, Some Great Thing[26]	David Elias, Sunday Afternoon Ibi Kaslik, Skinny Arthur Motyer, What's Remembered Catherine Safer, Bishop's Road
2006	Joseph Boyden, Three Day Road[27]	Howard Akler, The City Man Brenda Brooks, Gotta Find Me an Angel Anne Giardini, The Sad Truth About Happiness Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, The Nettle Spinner B. Glen Rotchin, The Rent Collector
2007	Madeleine Thien, Certainty[28]	Peter Behrens, The Law of Dreams John Degen, The Uninvited Guest Annette Lapointe, Stolen Heather O'Neill, Lullabies for Little Criminals Adam Lewis Schroeder, Empress of Asia
2008	Gil Adamson, The Outlander[29]	David Chariandy, Soucouyant Kyo Maclear, The Letter Opener C.S. Richardson, The End of the Alphabet Brian Tucker, Big White Knuckles Andrew Wedderburn, The Milk Chicken Bomb
2009	Joan Thomas, Reading by Lightning[30]	Michael Blouin, Chase & Haven Claudia Dey, Stunt Patrick Lane, Red Dog, Red Dog Mary Swan, The Boys in the Trees
2010	Jessica Grant, Come, Thou Tortoise[31]	Diana Fitzgerald Bryden, No Place Strange Annabel Lyon, The Golden Mean Damian Tarnopolsky, Goya's Dog Dragan Todorović, Diary of Interrupted Days Ian Weir, Daniel O'Thunder
2011	Eleanor Catton, The Rehearsal[1]	Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall, Ghosted Miguel Syjuco, Ilustrado Kathleen Winter, Annabel Dianne Warren, Cool Water
2012	David Bezmozgis, The Free World[32]	Fraser Nixon, The Man Who Killed Sina Queyras, Autobiography of Childhood Olive Senior, Dancing Lessons Alexi Zentner, Touch
2013	Anakana Schofield, Malarky[1]	Marjorie Celona, Y Scott Fotheringham, The Rest Is Silence Pasha Malla, People Park Kim Thúy, Ru
2014	Wayne Grady, Emancipation Day[33]	Kenneth Bonert, The Lion Seeker Krista Bridge, The Eliot Girls Susan Downe, Juanita Wildrose: My True Life D. W. Wilson, Ballistics
2015	Alix Hawley, All True Not a Lie in It[34]	Emma Hooper, Etta and Otto and Russell and James Sean Michaels, Us Conductors Guillaume Morissette, New Tab Chelsea Rooney, Pedal
2016	Mona Awad, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl[35]	Karim Alrawi, Book of Sands Aaron Cully Drake, Do You Think This Is Strange? W. Mark Giles, Seep Judith McCormack, Backspring Elizabeth Philips, The Afterlife of Birds
2017	Katherena Vermette, The Break[36]	Catherine Cooper, White Elephant Kaie Kellough, Accordéon Rebecca Rosenblum, So Much Love Yasuko Thanh, Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains
2018	Michael Kaan, The Water Beetles[37]	Sharon Bala, The Boat People David Demchuk, The Bone Mother Omar El Akkad, American War Rachel Manley, The Black Peacock Alison Watt, Dazzle Patterns
2019	Casey Plett, Little Fish[38]	Liz Harmer, The Amateurs Tyler Hellard, Searching for Terry Punchout Tanya Tagaq, Split Tooth Joshua Whitehead, Jonny Appleseed Ian Williams, Reproduction
2020	Stéphane Larue, The Dishwasher[39]	Nancy Jo Cullen, The Western Alienation Merit Badge James Gregor, Going Dutch Victoria Hetherington, Mooncalves Nazanine Hozar, Aria Andrew David MacDonald, When We Were Vikings

References

1. "First Novel Award helps write authors' careers: All awards are crapshoots, but for a prize that recognizes writers with little or no track record, a surprising number become successful". The Globe and Mail, May 21, 2016.
2. "New corporate outlook on helping writers: more cash, fewer strings". The Globe and Mail, June 7, 1977.
3. "And the winner is..." The Globe and Mail, April 1, 1978.
4. "First-novel-award prize is increased to $5,000". The Globe and Mail, January 20, 1988.
5. "The timeless metaphors of baseball". The Globe and Mail, November 17, 1984.
6. "Writer from Regina wins book award". The Globe and Mail, March 29, 1985.
7. "Lives in isolation". The Globe and Mail, January 9, 1988.
8. "Lawrence captures $3,000 literary prize". The Globe and Mail, April 3, 1987.
9. "BC woman (Quednau) wins first-novel award". Winnipeg Free Press, April 3, 1998.
10. "Salutin wins $5,000 prize". Toronto Star, March 30, 1989.
11. "Winnipeg author wins first-novel prize". Ottawa Citizen, March 30, 1990.
12. "Ricci novel wins second big prize". Calgary Herald, March 26, 1991.
13. "Mistry novel earns Smith award". Halifax Daily News, March 27, 1992.
14. "Story from 'fascinating' journal wins Steffler first novel award". Halifax Daily News, March 27, 1993.
15. "New Brunswicker wins book award". Calgary Herald, March 25, 2994.
16. "Funny Boy author wins $5,000 SmithBooks prize". Toronto Star, March 22, 1995.
17. "Fraser wins First Novel prize". Toronto Star, April 26, 1996.
18. "Anne Michaels wins $5,000 first novel prize". Edmonton Journal, May 29, 1997.
19. "Opium Dreams wins award". Ottawa Citizen, April 25, 1998.
20. "Andre Alexis wins first novel award". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, April 30, 1999.
21. "Macfarlane, Wilson share award for first novel". The Globe and Mail, October 13, 2000.
22. "Necessary Lies wins first-novel award". The Globe and Mail, September 26, 2001.
23. "Michael Redhill picks up first-novel honours". Edmonton Journal, October 2, 2002.
24. "Mary Lawson wins first novel award for Crow Lake". National Post, October 9, 2003.
25. "Basilieres wins first novel award". The Telegram, October 17, 2004.
26. "Montreal's Colin McAdam wins First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail, October 7, 2005.
27. "Joseph Boyden wins Amazon first-novel award". The Globe and Mail, October 12, 2006.
28. "Quebec City's Thien wins First Novel Award". Montreal Gazette, October 9, 2007.
29. "Adamson wins First Novel Award". Telegraph-Journal, October 2, 2008.
30. "Thomas wins Amazon First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail, September 25, 2009.
31. "Jessica Grant takes first-novel honour". The Globe and Mail, May 1, 2010.
32. "Toronto writer wins first-novel prize". Victoria Times-Colonist, April 29, 2012.
33. "Seasoned author's debut novel a winner". Winnipeg Free Press, May 10, 2014.
34. "Alix Hawley's All True Not A Lie In It wins Amazon.ca First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail. May 21, 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
35. "Mona Awad wins Amazon.ca First Novel Award". CBC Books, May 26, 2016.
36. "Katherena Vermette wins Amazon.ca First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail May 25, 2017.
37. "Michael Kaan wins Amazon Canada First Novel Award for The Water Beetles". The Globe and Mail, May 22, 2018.
38. "Casey Plett wins $60,000 Amazon first novel prize". Toronto Star, May 22, 2019.
39. "Six literary up-and-comers vie for $60,000 Amazon Canada First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail, June 9, 2020.

External links

• First Novel Award at Amazon.ca