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.
Amazon first signed on as a sponsor of the award in 2001,[2] 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 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
editAt 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
editYear | Author | Title | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Ian McLachlan | The Seventh Hexagram | Winner | [3] |
Michael Ondaatje | Coming Through Slaughter | |||
Alice Boissoneau | Eileen McCullough | Finalist | [4] | |
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 | Winner | [5] |
Shane Dennison | Sidehill Gouger | Finalist | [6] | |
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 | Winner | [1] |
Michael Dorland | The Double-Cross Circuit | Finalist | [7] | |
Clive Doucet | Disneyland, Please | |||
Margaret Drury Gane | Parade on an Empty Street | |||
Kevin Major | Hold Fast | |||
Frank Paci | The Italians |
1980s
editYear | Author | Title | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | Clark Blaise | Lunar Attractions | Winner | [8] |
Victoria Branden | Mrs. Job | Finalist | ||
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 | Winner | [9] |
Martyn Burke | Laughing War | Finalist | ||
Susan Musgrave | The Charcoal Burners | |||
Graham Petrie | Seahorse | |||
Leon Rooke | Fat Woman | |||
1982 | Joy Kogawa | Obasan | Winner | [10] |
Jim Christy | Streethearts | Finalist | [11] | |
George Jonas | Final Decree | |||
Edward O. Phillips | Sunday's Child | |||
Gary Ross | Always Tip the Dealer | |||
1983 | W. P. Kinsella | Shoeless Joe | Winner | [12] |
Lorris Elliott | Coming for to Carry | Finalist | [13] | |
Geraldine Rahmani | Blue | |||
Nessa Rapoport | Preparing for Sabbath | |||
Ann Rosenberg | The Bee Book | |||
1984 | Heather Robertson | Willie: A Romance | Winner | [8] |
Robert G. Collins | Tolerable Levels of Violence | Finalist | [14] | |
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 | Winner | [15] |
Sharon Butala | Country of the Heart | Finalist | [16] | |
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 | Winner | [17] |
Susan Charlotte Haley | A Nest of Singing Birds | Finalist | [18] | |
Ann Ireland | A Certain Mr. Takahashi | |||
Frank Jones | Master and Maid | |||
Robert Walshe | Wales' Work | |||
1987 | Karen Lawrence | The Life of Helen Alone | Winner | [19] |
Marc Diamond | Momentum | Finalist | [20] | |
David Gilmour | Back on Tuesday | |||
Paulette Jiles | The Late Great Human Road Show | |||
Jo Anne Williams Bennett | Downfall People | |||
1988 | Marion Quednau | The Butterfly Chair | Winner | [21] |
D.F. Bailey | Fire Eyes | Finalist | [22] | |
W.D. Barcus | Squatters' Island | |||
Pauline Holdstock | The Blackbird's Song | |||
Seán Virgo | Selakhi | |||
1989 | Rick Salutin | A Man of Little Faith | Winner | [23] |
Neil Bissoondath | A Casual Brutality | Finalist | [24] | |
Joan Clark | The Victory of Geraldine Gull | |||
David Homel | Electrical Storms | |||
Janice Kulyk Keefer | Constellations | |||
Helen Fogwill Porter | January, February, June or July |
1990s
edit2000s
edit2010s
editYear | Author | Title | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Jessica Grant | Come, Thou Tortoise | Winner | [64] |
Diana Fitzgerald Bryden | No Place Strange | Finalist | [65] | |
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 | Winner | [66] |
Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall | Ghosted | Finalist | [67] | |
Miguel Syjuco | Ilustrado | |||
Dianne Warren | Cool Water | |||
Kathleen Winter | Annabel | |||
2012 | David Bezmozgis | The Free World | Winner | [68] |
Fraser Nixon | The Man Who Killed | Finalist | [69] | |
Sina Queyras | Autobiography of Childhood | |||
Olive Senior | Dancing Lessons | |||
Alexi Zentner | Touch | |||
2013 | Anakana Schofield | Malarky | Winner | [70] |
Marjorie Celona | Y | Finalist | [71] | |
Scott Fotheringham | The Rest Is Silence | |||
Pasha Malla | People Park | |||
Kim Thúy | Ru | |||
2014 | Wayne Grady | Emancipation Day | Winner | [72] |
Kenneth Bonert | The Lion Seeker | Finalist | [73] | |
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 | Winner | [74] |
Emma Hooper | Etta and Otto and Russell and James | Finalist | [75] | |
Sean Michaels | Us Conductors | |||
Guillaume Morissette | New Tab | |||
Chelsea Rooney | Pedal | |||
2016 | Mona Awad | 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl | Winner | [76] |
Karim Alrawi | Book of Sands | Finalist | [77] | |
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 | Winner | [78] |
Catherine Cooper | White Elephant | Finalist | [79] | |
Kaie Kellough | Accordéon | |||
Rebecca Rosenblum | So Much Love | |||
Yasuko Thanh | Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains | |||
2018 | Michael Kaan | The Water Beetles | Winner | [80] |
Sharon Bala | The Boat People | Finalist | [81] | |
David Demchuk | The Bone Mother | |||
Omar El Akkad | American War | |||
Rachel Manley | The Black Peacock | |||
Alison Watt | Dazzle Patterns | |||
2019 | Casey Plett | Little Fish | Winner | [82] |
Liz Harmer | The Amateurs | Finalist | [83] | |
Tyler Hellard | Searching for Terry Punchout | |||
Tanya Tagaq | Split Tooth | |||
Joshua Whitehead | Jonny Appleseed | |||
Ian Williams | Reproduction |
2020s
editYear | Author | Title | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Stéphane Larue | The Dishwasher | Winner | [84] |
Nancy Jo Cullen | The Western Alienation Merit Badge | Finalist | [84] | |
James Gregor | Going Dutch | |||
Victoria Hetherington | Mooncalves | |||
Nazanine Hozar | Aria | |||
Andrew David MacDonald | When We Were Vikings | |||
2021 | Michelle Good | Five Little Indians | Winner | [85] |
Sheung-King | You Are Eating an Orange. You Are Naked. | Finalist | [86] | |
Francesca Ekwuyasi | Butter Honey Pig Bread | |||
Marlowe Granados | Happy Hour | |||
Jael Richardson | Gutter Child | |||
John Elizabeth Stintzi | Vanishing Monuments | |||
2022 | Pik-Shuen Fung | Ghost Forest | Winner | [87] |
Emily Austin | Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead | Finalist | [88] | |
Lisa Bird-Wilson | Probably Ruby | |||
Brian Thomas Isaac | All the Quiet Places | |||
Conor Kerr | Avenue of Champions | |||
Aimee Wall | We, Jane | |||
2023 | Jasmine Sealy | The Island of Forgetting | Winner | [89] |
Billy-Ray Belcourt | A Minor Chorus | Finalist | [90] | |
André Forget | In the City of Pigs | |||
Jessica Johns | Bad Cree | |||
William Ping | Hollow Bamboo | |||
Kai Thomas | In the Upper Country | |||
2024 | Alicia Elliott | And Then She Fell | Winner | [91] |
Jordan Abel | Empty Spaces | Finalist | [92] | |
Caroline Dawson | As the Andes Disappeared | |||
Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall | Tauhou | |||
Janika Oza | A History of Burning | |||
Amanda Peters | The Berry Pickers |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "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.
- ^ "Amazon.com deal saves Canadian literary magazine from folding". Cape Breton Post, January 18, 2001.
- ^ "New corporate outlook on helping writers: more cash, fewer strings". The Globe and Mail, June 7, 1977.
- ^ "Two writers to share award for first novels in Canada". Ottawa Citizen, March 29, 1977.
- ^ "And the winner is..." The Globe and Mail, April 1, 1978.
- ^ Burt Heward, "'Best' novel tells of life in the Valley". Ottawa Citizen, April 5, 1978.
- ^ William French, "Book price probe is needed". The Globe and Mail, March 27, 1979.
- ^ a b "First-novel-award prize is increased to $5,000". The Globe and Mail, January 20, 1988.
- ^ Pat Barclay, "Gentle Sinners, by W. D. Valgardson". Victoria Times-Colonist, April 17, 1981.
- ^ "Kogawa wins $1,000 award". The Globe and Mail, April 2, 1982.
- ^ "Note Book". Kingston Whig-Standard, March 13, 1982.
- ^ "The timeless metaphors of baseball". The Globe and Mail, November 17, 1984.
- ^ Beverley Slopen, "First novels". Montreal Gazette, March 12, 1983.
- ^ Kenneth McGoogan, "Book battle becomes a war" Calgary Herald, March 4, 1984.
- ^ "Writer from Regina wins book award". The Globe and Mail, March 29, 1985.
- ^ Kenneth McGoogan, "West spawns top novels". Calgary Herald, March 10, 1985.
- ^ "Lives in isolation". The Globe and Mail, January 9, 1988.
- ^ Larry Scanlan, "Magazine". Kingston Whig-Standard, April 5, 1986.
- ^ "Lawrence captures $3,000 literary prize". The Globe and Mail, April 3, 1987.
- ^ "Short list announced for first novel award". The Globe and Mail, March 12, 1987.
- ^ "BC woman (Quednau) wins first-novel award". Winnipeg Free Press, April 3, 1998.
- ^ "Finalists announced in first novel contest". Toronto Star, March 1, 1988.
- ^ "Salutin wins $5,000 prize". Toronto Star, March 30, 1989.
- ^ Burt Heward, "First-novel short list announced". Ottawa Citizen, March 4, 1989.
- ^ "Winnipeg author wins first-novel prize". Ottawa Citizen, March 30, 1990.
- ^ Lynne Van Luven, "Edmontonians among finalists for first-novel award". Edmonton Journal, March 6, 1990.
- ^ "Ricci novel wins second big prize". Calgary Herald, March 26, 1991.
- ^ "First novel award names 6 finalists". Toronto Star, February 20, 1991.
- ^ "Mistry novel earns Smith award". Halifax Daily News, March 27, 1992.
- ^ "Finalists named for book award". The Globe and Mail, February 25, 1992.
- ^ "Story from 'fascinating' journal wins Steffler first novel award". Halifax Daily News, March 27, 1993.
- ^ "Finalists announced for first novel award". The Globe and Mail, March 4, 1993.
- ^ "New Brunswicker wins book award". Calgary Herald, March 25, 1994.
- ^ "Five authors nominated for first-novel award". Montreal Gazette, March 5, 1994.
- ^ "Funny Boy author wins $5,000 SmithBooks prize". Toronto Star, March 22, 1995.
- ^ Candace Fertile, "And this one's just too cool for words". Calgary Herald, March 4, 1995.
- ^ "Fraser wins First Novel prize". Toronto Star, April 26, 1996.
- ^ "Short list for 1st novel announced". The Globe and Mail, March 1, 1996.
- ^ "Anne Michaels wins $5,000 first novel prize". Edmonton Journal, May 29, 1997.
- ^ "Six authors in running for first-novel award". Ottawa Citizen, March 29, 1997.
- ^ "Opium Dreams wins award". Ottawa Citizen, April 25, 1998.
- ^ "County native nominated". Windsor Star, March 7, 1998.
- ^ "Andre Alexis wins first novel award". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, April 30, 1999.
- ^ "Highway nominated". National Post, April 1, 1999.
- ^ Bob Blakey, "Calgarian in hunt for first-time novelist award". Calgary Herald, September 8, 2000.
- ^ "Necessary Lies wins first-novel award". The Globe and Mail, September 26, 2001.
- ^ "2001 First novel award: Three Vancouver writers up for $5,000 prize". Vancouver Sun, July 21, 2001.
- ^ a b "Michael Redhill picks up first-novel honours". Edmonton Journal, October 2, 2002.
- ^ "Mary Lawson wins first novel award for Crow Lake". National Post, October 9, 2003.
- ^ Rebecca Caldwell, "Lawson wins first-novel award". The Globe and Mail, October 9, 2003.
- ^ "Basilieres wins first novel award". The Telegram, October 17, 2004.
- ^ "John Bemrose, Edeet Ravel are among finalists for First Novel Award". Welland Tribune, April 21, 2004.
- ^ "Montreal's Colin McAdam wins First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail, October 7, 2005.
- ^ "Debut fiction: 14 writers make first impressions". Ottawa Citizen, June 5, 2005.
- ^ "Joseph Boyden wins Amazon first-novel award". The Globe and Mail, October 12, 2006.
- ^ "Authors short-listed for First Novel Award". The Telegram, July 2, 2006.
- ^ "Quebec City's Thien wins First Novel Award". Montreal Gazette, October 9, 2007.
- ^ "'First Novel' finalists named". Prince George Citizen, June 15, 2007.
- ^ "Adamson wins First Novel Award". Telegraph-Journal, October 2, 2008.
- ^ "Finalists for First Novel Award announced". Moose Jaw Times-Herald, June 11, 2008.
- ^ "Thomas wins Amazon First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail, September 25, 2009.
- ^ "Saanich writer Patrick Lane nominated for first-novel honour". Victoria Times-Colonist, June 17, 2009.
- ^ "St. John's writer wins first-novel award". Edmonton Journal, May 2, 2010.
- ^ "Ian Weir, Annabel Lyon among finalists for Amazon First Novel Award". National Post, March 5, 2010.
- ^ "Eleanor Catton of London, Ont., wins $7,500 Amazon.ca First Novel Award". Canadian Press, April 28, 2011.
- ^ Medley, Mark (February 22, 2011). "Nominees for Amazon.ca First Novel Award announced". National Post.
- ^ "Toronto writer wins first-novel prize". Victoria Times-Colonist, April 29, 2012.
- ^ "Shortlisted this week". National Post, February 25, 2012.
- ^ "Vancouver author wins Amazon.ca First Novel Award". Ottawa Citizen, April 26, 2013.
- ^ "Kim Thuy's celebrated 'Ru' among finalists for Amazon.ca First Novel Award". Canadian Press, February 27, 2013.
- ^ "Seasoned author's debut novel a winner". Winnipeg Free Press, May 10, 2014.
- ^ "Windsor, Ont., writer Wayne Grady wins Amazon.ca First Novel Award". CBC News. April 30, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "Alix Hawley's All True Not A Lie In It wins Amazon.ca First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail. May 21, 2015.
- ^ François Lauzon, "Sean Michaels' Us Conductors in running for Amazon prize". Montreal Gazette, April 2, 2015.
- ^ Medley, Mark (2016-05-26). "Mona Awad wins Amazon.ca First Novel Award: 'When I was writing the book, frankly, I never thought it would see the light of day'". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ Mark Medley, "Want to write a novel? First Novel Awards finalists say it's better with age". The Globe and Mail, April 16, 2016.
- ^ Medley, Mark (May 25, 2017). "Katherena Vermette wins Amazon.ca First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ Medley, Mark (April 14, 2017). "Finalists announced for Amazon.ca First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "Winnipeg's Kaan wins book prize". London Free Press, May 24, 2018.
- ^ Deborah Dundas, "Sharon Bala, Omar El Akkad shortlisted for Amazon First Novel Award". Toronto Star, April 28, 2018.
- ^ Dundas, Deborah (May 22, 2019). "Casey Plett wins $60,000 Amazon first novel prize". Toronto Star.
- ^ Deborah Dundas, "Tanya Tagaq, Ian Williams among finalists for $60,000 Amazon Canada First Novel Award". Toronto Star, April 26, 2019.
- ^ a b "'The Dishwasher' Author Stéphane Larue Wins the 2020 Amazon Canada First Novel Award". The Walrus. June 5, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ Qiao, Vicky (May 28, 2021). "Five Little Indians by Michelle Good wins $60K Amazon First Novel Award". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ "Michelle Good Wins 2021 Amazon Canada First Novel Award". The Walrus. 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ The Canadian Press (2022-06-01). "Pik-Shuen Fung's 'Ghost Forest' wins Amazon Canada First Novel Award". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ The Canadian Press (2022-05-10). "Retired bricklayer among six debut novelists vying for $60,000 Amazon Canada First Novel Award". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ "Jasmine Sealy’s ‘The Island of Forgetting’ wins Amazon Canada First Novel Award". Toronto Star, June 1, 2023.
- ^ Cassandra Drudi, "Billy-Ray Belcourt, Jessica Johns among 2023 Amazon Canada First Novel finalists". Quill & Quire, May 4, 2023.
- ^ Attila Berki, "Alicia Elliott wins 2024 Amazon Canada First Novel Award". Quill & Quire, June 7, 2024.
- ^ Cassandra Drudi, "2024 Amazon First Novel Award shortlist revealed". Quill & Quire, May 9, 2024.
External links
edit- First Novel Award at Amazon.ca