Amazon Canada First Novel Award

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Template:Short description The Amazon Canada First Novel Award, formerly the Amazon.ca First Novel Award and 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.<ref name=helps>"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.</ref> It has been awarded since 1976.<ref name=helps/>

The First Novel Award was founded by the literary magazine Books in Canada.<ref name=helps/> 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.<ref name=helps/> When SmithBooks was acquired by Chapters, it became the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award.<ref name=helps/>

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.

Amazon first signed on as a sponsor of the award in 2001,<ref>"Amazon.com deal saves Canadian literary magazine from folding". Cape Breton Post, January 18, 2001.</ref> with the award presented as the amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award through the 2000s. Full administration of the award was taken over by Amazon in 2009 and its name was changed to the Amazon.ca First Novel Award. 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.

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Winners and finalists

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.

1970s

Amazon.ca First Novel Award winners and finalists, 1977-1979
Year Author Title Result Ref.
1977 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref name="outlook">"New corporate outlook on helping writers: more cash, fewer strings". The Globe and Mail, June 7, 1977.</ref>
Template:Sortname Coming Through Slaughter
Template:Sortname Eileen McCullough Finalist <ref>"Two writers to share award for first novels in Canada". Ottawa Citizen, March 29, 1977.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Middlewatch
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Small Ceremonies
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
1978 Template:Sortname Sandbars Winner <ref name="winner">"And the winner is..." The Globe and Mail, April 1, 1978.</ref>
Template:Sortname Sidehill Gouger Finalist <ref>Burt Heward, "'Best' novel tells of life in the Valley". Ottawa Citizen, April 5, 1978.</ref>
Template:Sortname Child of the Morning
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname I Do Remember the Fall
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
1979 Template:Sortname Abra Winner <ref name="helps" />
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>William French, "Book price probe is needed". The Globe and Mail, March 27, 1979.</ref>
Template:Sortname Disneyland, Please
Template:Sortname Parade on an Empty Street
Template:Sortname Hold Fast
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname

1980s

Amazon.ca First Novel Award winners and finalists, 1980-1989
Year Author Title Result Ref.
1980 Template:Sortname Lunar Attractions Winner <ref name="increased">"First-novel-award prize is increased to $5,000". The Globe and Mail, January 20, 1988.</ref>
Template:Sortname Mrs. Job Finalist
Template:Sortname Peckertracks
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Everything in the Window
Template:Sortname Random Descent
Template:Sortname Crossings
1981 Template:Sortname Gentle Sinners Winner <ref>Pat Barclay, "Gentle Sinners, by W. D. Valgardson". Victoria Times-Colonist, April 17, 1981.</ref>
Template:Sortname Laughing War Finalist
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Seahorse
Template:Sortname Fat Woman
1982 Template:Sortname Obasan Winner <ref>"Kogawa wins $1,000 award". The Globe and Mail, April 2, 1982.</ref>
Template:Sortname Streethearts Finalist <ref>"Note Book". Kingston Whig-Standard, March 13, 1982.</ref>
Template:Sortname Final Decree
Template:Sortname Sunday's Child
Template:Sortname Always Tip the Dealer
1983 Template:Sortname Shoeless Joe Winner <ref>"The timeless metaphors of baseball". The Globe and Mail, November 17, 1984.</ref>
Template:Sortname Coming for to Carry Finalist <ref>Beverley Slopen, "First novels". Montreal Gazette, March 12, 1983.</ref>
Template:Sortname Blue
Template:Sortname Preparing for Sabbath
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
1984 Template:Sortname Willie: A Romance Winner <ref name="increased" />
Template:Sortname Tolerable Levels of Violence Finalist <ref>Kenneth McGoogan, "Book battle becomes a war" Calgary Herald, March 4, 1984.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Not Working
Template:Sortname Figures on a Wharf
1985 Template:Sortname Perdue, or How the West Was Lost Winner <ref name="winsbook">"Writer from Regina wins book award". The Globe and Mail, March 29, 1985.</ref>
Template:Sortname Country of the Heart Finalist <ref>Kenneth McGoogan, "West spawns top novels". Calgary Herald, March 10, 1985.</ref>
Template:Sortname Precious
Template:Sortname Dazzled
Template:Sortname I Hear the Reaper's Song
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
1986 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref>"Lives in isolation". The Globe and Mail, January 9, 1988.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>Larry Scanlan, "Magazine". Kingston Whig-Standard, April 5, 1986.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Master and Maid
Template:Sortname Wales' Work
1987 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref name="captures">"Lawrence captures $3,000 literary prize". The Globe and Mail, April 3, 1987.</ref>
Template:Sortname Momentum Finalist <ref>"Short list announced for first novel award". The Globe and Mail, March 12, 1987.</ref>
Template:Sortname Back on Tuesday
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Downfall People
1988 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref>"BC woman (Quednau) wins first-novel award". Winnipeg Free Press, April 3, 1998.</ref>
Template:Sortname Fire Eyes Finalist <ref>"Finalists announced in first novel contest". Toronto Star, March 1, 1988.</ref>
Template:Sortname Squatters' Island
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Selakhi
1989 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref>"Salutin wins $5,000 prize". Toronto Star, March 30, 1989.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>Burt Heward, "First-novel short list announced". Ottawa Citizen, March 4, 1989.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Electrical Storms
Template:Sortname Constellations
Template:Sortname January, February, June or July

1990s

Amazon.ca First Novel Award winners and finalists, 1990-1999
Year Author Title Result Ref.
1990 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref>"Winnipeg author wins first-novel prize". Ottawa Citizen, March 30, 1990.</ref>
Template:Sortname To All Appearances a Lady Finalist <ref>Lynne Van Luven, "Edmontonians among finalists for first-novel award". Edmonton Journal, March 6, 1990.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Madeleine and the Angel
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Distant Relations
1991 Template:Sortname Lives of the Saints Winner <ref>"Ricci novel wins second big prize". Calgary Herald, March 26, 1991.</ref>
Template:Sortname Deadly Appearances Finalist <ref>"First novel award names 6 finalists". Toronto Star, February 20, 1991.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Grace Lake
Template:Sortname Homework
Template:Sortname Sniper's Moon
1992 Template:Sortname Such a Long Journey Winner <ref>"Mistry novel earns Smith award". Halifax Daily News, March 27, 1992.</ref>
Template:Sortname Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture Finalist <ref>"Finalists named for book award". The Globe and Mail, February 25, 1992.</ref>
Template:Sortname Woyzeck's Head
Template:Sortname Kleinberg
Template:Sortname News From a Foreign Country Came
1993 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref>"Story from 'fascinating' journal wins Steffler first novel award". Halifax Daily News, March 27, 1993.</ref>
Template:Sortname Amnesia Finalist <ref>"Finalists announced for first novel award". The Globe and Mail, March 4, 1993.</ref>
Template:Sortname Voice-Over
Template:Sortname Brud
Template:Sortname Spin Dry
1994 Template:Sortname Losing Eddie Winner <ref>"New Brunswicker wins book award". Calgary Herald, March 25, 1994.</ref>
Template:Sortname Minus Time Finalist <ref>"Five authors nominated for first-novel award". Montreal Gazette, March 5, 1994.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Blow Up the Trumpet in the New Moon
Template:Sortname If I Knew I'd Tell You
1995 Template:Sortname Funny Boy Winner <ref>"Funny Boy author wins $5,000 SmithBooks prize". Toronto Star, March 22, 1995.</ref>
Template:Sortname Kitchen Music Finalist <ref>Candace Fertile, "And this one's just too cool for words". Calgary Herald, March 4, 1995.</ref>
Template:Sortname In the Language of Love
Template:Sortname How Insensitive
Template:Sortname Alex & Zee
1996 Template:Sortname Popular Anatomy Winner <ref>"Fraser wins First Novel prize". Toronto Star, April 26, 1996.</ref>
Template:Sortname Highways and Dancehalls Finalist <ref>"Short list for 1st novel announced". The Globe and Mail, March 1, 1996.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname When Fox Is a Thousand
Template:Sortname Daughters of the Red Land
1997 Template:Sortname Fugitive Pieces Winner <ref>"Anne Michaels wins $5,000 first novel prize". Edmonton Journal, May 29, 1997.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>"Six authors in running for first-novel award". Ottawa Citizen, March 29, 1997.</ref>
Template:Sortname Fall on Your Knees
Template:Sortname Self
Template:Sortname Cereus Blooms at Night
1998 Template:Sortname Opium Dreams Winner <ref>"Opium Dreams wins award". Ottawa Citizen, April 25, 1998.</ref>
Template:Sortname Elephant Winter Finalist <ref>"County native nominated". Windsor Star, March 7, 1998.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Homer in Flight
Template:Sortname Angel Falls
1999 Template:Sortname Childhood Winner <ref>"Andre Alexis wins first novel award". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, April 30, 1999.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>"Highway nominated". National Post, April 1, 1999.</ref>
Template:Sortname Kiss of the Fur Queen
Template:Sortname Beneath That Starry Place
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname

2000s

Amazon.ca First Novel Award winners and finalists, 2000-2009
Year Author Title Result Ref.
2000 Template:Sortname Summer Gone Winner <ref name="share">"Macfarlane, Wilson share award for first novel". The Globe and Mail, October 13, 2000.</ref>
Template:Sortname Before the Flood
Template:Sortname No Great Mischief Finalist <ref>Bob Blakey, "Calgarian in hunt for first-time novelist award". Calgary Herald, September 8, 2000.</ref>
Template:Sortname Kit's Law
Template:Sortname Flyboy Action Figure Comes with Gasmask
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
2001 Template:Sortname Necessary Lies Winner <ref>"Necessary Lies wins first-novel award". The Globe and Mail, September 26, 2001.</ref>
Template:Sortname Finnie Walsh Finalist <ref>"2001 First novel award: Three Vancouver writers up for $5,000 prize". Vancouver Sun, July 21, 2001.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Alice, I Think
Template:Sortname This Place Called Absence
2002 Template:Sortname Martin Sloane Winner <ref name=redhill>"Michael Redhill picks up first-novel honours". Edmonton Journal, October 2, 2002.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref name=redhill/>
Template:Sortname River Thieves
Template:Sortname Open Arms
Template:Sortname Strong Hollow
Template:Sortname Ten Good Seconds of Silence
2003 Template:Sortname Crow Lake Winner <ref>"Mary Lawson wins first novel award for Crow Lake". National Post, October 9, 2003.</ref>
Template:Sortname Heave Finalist <ref>Rebecca Caldwell, "Lawson wins first-novel award". The Globe and Mail, October 9, 2003.</ref>
Template:Sortname Stay
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Cumberland
Template:Sortname Spelling Mississippi
2004 Template:Sortname Black Bird Winner <ref>"Basilieres wins first novel award". The Telegram, October 17, 2004.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>"John Bemrose, Edeet Ravel are among finalists for First Novel Award". Welland Tribune, April 21, 2004.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Kalyna's Song
Template:Sortname Ten Thousand Lovers
Template:Sortname Blue Becomes You
2005 Template:Sortname Some Great Thing Winner <ref>"Montreal's Colin McAdam wins First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail, October 7, 2005.</ref>
Template:Sortname Sunday Afternoon Finalist <ref>"Debut fiction: 14 writers make first impressions". Ottawa Citizen, June 5, 2005.</ref>
Template:Sortname Skinny
Template:Sortname What's Remembered
Template:Sortname Bishop's Road
2006 Template:Sortname Three Day Road Winner <ref>"Joseph Boyden wins Amazon first-novel award". The Globe and Mail, October 12, 2006.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>"Authors short-listed for First Novel Award". The Telegram, July 2, 2006.</ref>
Template:Sortname Gotta Find Me an Angel
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
2007 Template:Sortname Certainty Winner <ref>"Quebec City's Thien wins First Novel Award". Montreal Gazette, October 9, 2007.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>"'First Novel' finalists named". Prince George Citizen, June 15, 2007.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Stolen
Template:Sortname Lullabies for Little Criminals
Template:Sortname Empress of Asia
2008 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref>"Adamson wins First Novel Award". Telegraph-Journal, October 2, 2008.</ref>
Template:Sortname Soucouyant Finalist <ref>"Finalists for First Novel Award announced". Moose Jaw Times-Herald, June 11, 2008.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Big White Knuckles
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
2009 Template:Sortname Reading by Lightning Winner <ref>"Thomas wins Amazon First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail, September 25, 2009.</ref>
Template:Sortname Chase & Haven Finalist <ref>"Saanich writer Patrick Lane nominated for first-novel honour". Victoria Times-Colonist, June 17, 2009.</ref>
Template:Sortname Stunt
Template:Sortname Red Dog, Red Dog
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname

2010s

Amazon.ca First Novel Award winners and finalists, 2010-2019
Year Author Title Result Ref.
2010 Template:Sortname Come, Thou Tortoise Winner <ref>"St. John's writer wins first-novel award". Edmonton Journal, May 2, 2010.</ref>
Template:Sortname No Place Strange Finalist <ref>"Ian Weir, Annabel Lyon among finalists for Amazon First Novel Award". National Post, March 5, 2010.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Goya's Dog
Template:Sortname Diary of Interrupted Days
Template:Sortname Daniel O'Thunder
2011 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref>"Eleanor Catton of London, Ont., wins $7,500 Amazon.ca First Novel Award". Canadian Press, April 28, 2011.</ref>
Template:Sortname Ghosted Finalist <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname Ilustrado
Template:Sortname Cool Water
Template:Sortname Annabel
2012 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref>"Toronto writer wins first-novel prize". Victoria Times-Colonist, April 29, 2012.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>"Shortlisted this week". National Post, February 25, 2012.</ref>
Template:Sortname Autobiography of Childhood
Template:Sortname Dancing Lessons
Template:Sortname Touch
2013 Template:Sortname Malarky Winner <ref>"Vancouver author wins Amazon.ca First Novel Award". Ottawa Citizen, April 26, 2013.</ref>
Template:Sortname Y Finalist <ref>"Kim Thuy's celebrated 'Ru' among finalists for Amazon.ca First Novel Award". Canadian Press, February 27, 2013.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname People Park
Template:Sortname Ru
2014 Template:Sortname Emancipation Day Winner <ref>"Seasoned author's debut novel a winner". Winnipeg Free Press, May 10, 2014.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Juanita Wildrose: My True Life
Template:Sortname Ballistics
2015 Template:Sortname All True Not a Lie in It Winner <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname Etta and Otto and Russell and James Finalist <ref>François Lauzon, "Sean Michaels' Us Conductors in running for Amazon prize". Montreal Gazette, April 2, 2015.</ref>
Template:Sortname Us Conductors
Template:Sortname New Tab
Template:Sortname Pedal
2016 Template:Sortname 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl Winner <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname Book of Sands Finalist <ref>Mark Medley, "Want to write a novel? First Novel Awards finalists say it's better with age". The Globe and Mail, April 16, 2016.</ref>
Template:Sortname Do You Think This Is Strange?
Template:Sortname Seep
Template:Sortname Backspring
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
2017 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname White Elephant Finalist <ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname Accordéon
Template:Sortname So Much Love
Template:Sortname Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains
2018 Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Winner <ref>"Winnipeg's Kaan wins book prize". London Free Press, May 24, 2018.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>Deborah Dundas, "Sharon Bala, Omar El Akkad shortlisted for Amazon First Novel Award". Toronto Star, April 28, 2018.</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname American War
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname
Template:Sortname Dazzle Patterns
2019 Template:Sortname Little Fish Winner <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref>Deborah Dundas, "Tanya Tagaq, Ian Williams among finalists for $60,000 Amazon Canada First Novel Award". Toronto Star, April 26, 2019.</ref>
Template:Sortname Searching for Terry Punchout
Template:Sortname Split Tooth
Template:Sortname Jonny Appleseed
Template:Sortname Reproduction

2020s

Amazon Canada First Novel Award winners and finalists, 2020–present
Year Author Title Result Ref.
2020 Template:Sortname (tr. Pablo Strauss) Template:Sortname Winner <ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname Finalist <ref name=":6" />
Template:Sortname Going Dutch
Template:Sortname Mooncalves
Template:Sortname Aria
Template:Sortname When We Were Vikings
2021 Template:Sortname Five Little Indians Winner <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname You Are Eating an Orange. You Are Naked. Finalist <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname Butter Honey Pig Bread
Template:Sortname Happy Hour
Template:Sortname Gutter Child
Template:Sortname Vanishing Monuments
2022 Template:Sortname Ghost Forest Winner <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead Finalist <ref name="2022noms">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname Probably Ruby
Template:Sortname All the Quiet Places
Template:Sortname Avenue of Champions
Template:Sortname We, Jane
2023 Template:Sortname The Island of Forgetting Winner <ref>"Jasmine Sealy’s ‘The Island of Forgetting’ wins Amazon Canada First Novel Award". Toronto Star, June 1, 2023.</ref>
Template:Sortname A Minor Chorus Finalist <ref>Cassandra Drudi, "Billy-Ray Belcourt, Jessica Johns among 2023 Amazon Canada First Novel finalists". Quill & Quire, May 4, 2023.</ref>
Template:Sortname In the City of Pigs
Template:Sortname Bad Cree
Template:Sortname Hollow Bamboo
Template:Sortname In the Upper Country
2024 Template:Sortname And Then She Fell Winner <ref>Attila Berki, "Alicia Elliott wins 2024 Amazon Canada First Novel Award". Quill & Quire, June 7, 2024.</ref>
Template:Sortname Empty Spaces Finalist <ref>Cassandra Drudi, "2024 Amazon First Novel Award shortlist revealed". Quill & Quire, May 9, 2024.</ref>
Template:Sortname As the Andes Disappeared
Template:Sortname Tauhou
Template:Sortname A History of Burning
Template:Sortname The Berry Pickers
2025 Template:Sortname Subterrane Winner <ref>Nicole Thompson, "Valérie Bah wins Amazon Canada First Novel Award for 'Subterrane'". Victoria Times-Colonist, June 6, 2025.</ref>
Template:Sortname When We Were Ashes Finalist <ref>"Amazon Canada First Novel Award shortlist announced". Quill & Quire, May 6, 2025.</ref>
Template:Sortname Juiceboxers
Template:Sortname Oil People
Template:Sortname How It Works Out
Template:Sortname I Hope This Finds You Well

References

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Template:Amazon.ca First Novel Award