Books in Canada First Novel Award
Encyclopedia
The Amazon.ca
First Novel Award, formerly the Books in Canada First Novel Award, is a literary award
given annually to the best first novel
in English
published the previous year by a citizen or resident of Canada
. It has been awarded since 1976.
The First Novel Award has a tumultuous history. It was founded by the literary magazine Books in Canada but when money ran short the award was managed by Smithbooks and became the "Smithbooks/Books in Canada First Novel Award". When Smithbooks was acquired by Chapters Books Inc., it became the "Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award". In 1999 the magazine decided to end its affiliation with Chapters and became the "Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award". The award has since ceased to be affiliated with Books in Canada and is simply the Amazon.ca First Novel Award.
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
First Novel Award, formerly the Books in Canada First Novel Award, is a literary award
Literary award
A literary award is an award presented to an author who has written a particularly lauded piece or body of work. There are awards for forms of writing ranging from poetry to novels. Many awards are also dedicated to a certain genre of fiction or non-fiction writing . There are also awards...
given annually to the best first novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
published the previous year by a citizen or resident of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It has been awarded since 1976.
The First Novel Award has a tumultuous history. It was founded by the literary magazine Books in Canada but when money ran short the award was managed by Smithbooks and became the "Smithbooks/Books in Canada First Novel Award". When Smithbooks was acquired by Chapters Books Inc., it became the "Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award". In 1999 the magazine decided to end its affiliation with Chapters and became the "Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award". The award has since ceased to be affiliated with Books in Canada and is simply the Amazon.ca First Novel Award.
1976
The 1976 award was a tie.- Ian McLachlan, The Seventh Hexagram
- Michael OndaatjeMichael OndaatjePhilip Michael Ondaatje , OC, is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist and poet of Burgher origin. He is perhaps best known for his Booker Prize-winning novel, The English Patient, which was adapted into an Academy-Award-winning film.-Life and work:...
, Coming Through SlaughterComing Through SlaughterComing Through Slaughter is a novel by Michael Ondaatje, published by House of Anansi in 1976. It was the winner of the 1976 Books in Canada First Novel Award.... - Alice Boissoneau, Eileen McCullough
- David Kellum, The Falling World of Tristram Pocket
- Susan Kerslake, Middlewatch
- Sharon Riis, The True Story of Ida Johnson
- Carol ShieldsCarol ShieldsCarol Ann Shields, CC, OM, FRSC, MA was an American-born Canadian author. She is best known for her 1993 novel The Stone Diaries, which won the U.S. Pulitzer Prize for Fiction as well as the Governor General's Award in Canada.-Biography:Shields was born in Oak Park, Illinois...
, Small Ceremonies - Mary SoderstromMary SoderstromMary Soderstrom is a novelist, short story and nonfiction writer. Her most recent book is Making Waves: The Continuing Portuguese Adventure . Her most recent novel, The Violets of Usambara , was supported by a grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec which allowed her to do...
, The Descent of Andrew McPherson
1977
- Oonah McFeeOonah McFeeOonah McFee, née Browne was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, who won the Books in Canada First Novel Award for her 1977 novel Sandbars....
, Sandbars - Shane Dennison, Sidehill Gouger
- Pauline GedgePauline GedgePauline Gedge is a Canadian novelist best known for her historical fiction trilogies, Lords of the Two Lands and The King’s Men. She also writes science fiction, fantasy and horror. Her 13 novels have sold more than six million copies in 18 languages. -Life and career:Pauline Gedge was born...
, Child of the Morning - Jack HodginsJack HodginsFor the fictional character from Bones see Jack Hodgins Jack Hodgins is a Canadian novelist and short story writer....
, The Invention of the World - M.T. Kelly, I Do Remember the Fall
- Helen Levi, A Small Informal Dance
- Morley TorgovMorley TorgovMorley Torgov BA, LLB, DLitt is a Canadian novelist, humorist and lawyer. He remains a partner in the Toronto-based legal firm Olch, Torgov, Cohen LLP....
, The Abramsky Variations
1978
- Joan BarfootJoan BarfootJoan Louise Barfoot is a Canadian novelist. She has published 11 novels, including Luck , which was a nomineee for the 2005 Scotiabank Giller Prize, and Critical Injuries , which was longlisted for the 2002 Man Booker Prize...
, Abra - Michael Dorland, The Double-Cross Circuit
- Clive DoucetClive DoucetClive Doucet is a Canadian writer and politician.Doucet was born in 1946 in London, England to an Acadian serviceman and an English war bride. Doucet grew up in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. He also spent some of his youth in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Doucet was raised as a Catholic,...
, Disneyland, Please - Margaret Drury Gane, Parade on an Empty Street
- Kevin MajorKevin MajorKevin Major is a Canadian author who lives in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador with his wife and two teenage sons. He writes for both young people and adults, including fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry, and plays....
, Hold Fast - Frank Paci, The Italians
1979
- Clark BlaiseClark BlaiseClark Blaise, OC is a Canadian author.Born in Fargo, North Dakota, he currently lives in San Francisco, California. He has been married since 1963 to writer Bharati Mukherjee. They have two sons. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, Blaise was also the director of...
, Lunar Attractions - Victoria Branden, Mrs. Job
- Stan Dragland, Peckertracks
- Florence Evans, A Man Without Passion
- Shirley Faessler, Everything in the Window
- Katherine GovierKatherine GovierKatherine Mary Govier is a Canadian novelist. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, she was educated at the University of Alberta and York University. In 1997, she was awarded the Marian Engel Award for a woman writer in mid-career. Prior to that she was shortlisted for the Trillium Award in 1994, and won...
, Random Descent - Betty LambertBetty LambertBetty Lambert, born Elizabeth Minnie Lee was a Canadian writer.Lambert was born in Calgary, Canada to Christopher and Bessie Lee , the oldest of three daughters....
, Crossings
1980
- W.D. Valgardson, Gentle Sinners
- Martyn BurkeMartyn BurkeMartyn Burke is a journalist, novelist, screenwriter and director from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His career got started when he began writing and directing documentaries for CBC Television...
, Laughing War - Susan MusgraveSusan MusgraveSusan Musgrave is a Canadian poet and children's writer. She was born in Santa Cruz, California to Canadian parents, and currently lives in British Columbia, dividing her time between Sidney and the Queen Charlotte Islands....
, The Charcoal Burners - Graham Petrie, Seahorse
- Leon RookeLeon RookeLeon Rooke, CM is a Canadian novelist. He was born in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina in the United States. Educated at the University of North Carolina, he moved to Canada in 1969. He now lives in Toronto, Ontario....
, Fat Woman
1981
- Joy KogawaJoy KogawaJoy Nozomi Kogawa, CM, OBC is a Canadian poet and novelist of Japanese descent.-Life:Born Joy Nozomi Nakayama in Vancouver, British Columbia, she was sent with her family to the internment camp for Japanese Canadians at Slocan during World War II...
, ObasanObasanObasan is a novel by the Japanese-Canadian author Joy Kogawa. First published by Lester and Orpen Dennys in 1981, it chronicles Canada's internment and persecution of its citizens of Japanese descent during World War II from the perspective of a young child... - Jim ChristyJim ChristyJim Christy is the Director of Futures Exploration for the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center . FX is in charge of establishing strategic relationships between the US Government and private agencies and academia...
, Streethearts - George JonasGeorge JonasGeorge Jonas is a Hungarian-born Canadian writer and columnist. He is the author of 15 books. They include Vengeance , the story of an Israeli operation to kill the terrorists responsible for the 1972 Munich massacre...
, Final Decree - Edward O. PhillipsEdward O. Phillips-Biography:Phillips is a Canadian who has lived most of his life in Westmount, Quebec. He earned a law degree from the Université de Montréal in 1956, but decided against legal practice. He subsequently graduated from Harvard University with a Master's Degree in Teaching, and later earned a...
, Sunday's Child - Gary RossGary RossGary Ross is an American writer, director, and actor. He is best known for directing Pleasantville and Seabiscuit, both of which featured Tobey Maguire in the lead role...
, Always Tip the Dealer
1982
- W.P. Kinsella, Shoeless Joe
- Lorris Elliott, Coming for to Carry
- Nessa Rapoport, Preparing for Sabbath
- Geraldine Rahmani, Blue
- Ann Rosenberg, The Bee Book
1983
- Heather RobertsonHeather RobertsonHeather Robertson is a Canadian journalist, novelist and non-fiction writer. She published her first book, Reservations are for Indians, in 1970, and her latest book, Walking into Wilderness, in 2010. She was a founding member of the Writers' Union of Canada and the Professional Writers...
, Willie: A Romance - Robert G. Collins, Tolerable Levels of Violence
- Susan SwanSusan SwanSusan Swan is a Canadian author. Born in Midland, Ontario, she studied at McGill University. Her list of works includes The Wives of Bath , and What Casanova Told Me . The Wives of Bath was made into the film Lost and Delirious in 2001, starring Piper Perabo, Jessica Paré, and Mischa Barton...
, The Biggest Modern Woman in the World - George Szanto, Not Working
- Wayne TefsWayne TefsWayne Tefs is a Canadian novelist, critic, and anthologist.-Personal life:Tefs lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba with his wife, Kristen Wittman and son, Andrew. He was born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, the middle of three children, to Armin and Stella Tefs, and grew up in Northwestern Ontario...
, Figures on a Wharf
1984
- Geoffrey Ursell, Perdue, or How the West Was Lost
- Sharon ButalaSharon ButalaSharon Butala is a Canadian novelist who lives in Eastend, Saskatchewan.In 2001, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada...
, Country of the Heart - Douglas GloverDouglas GloverDouglas Glover may refer to:* Douglas Glover , British politician* Douglas Glover , Canadian writer presently living in New York state...
, Precious - John GrayJohn Gray (playwright)John MacLachlan Gray, OC is a Canadian writer-composer-performer for stage, TV, film, radio and print...
, Dazzled - Sara Stambaugh, I Hear the Reaper's Song
- Armin WiebeArmin WiebeArmin Wiebe is a Canadian novelist of Mennonite descent born in Altona, Manitoba.Wiebe has written numerous humorous novels about Mennonites including The Salvation of Yasch Siemens, "Murder in Gutenthal", and "The Second Coming of Yeeat Shpanst". In 1984, he was shortlisted for the Stephen...
, The Salvation of Yasch Siemens
1985
- Wayne JohnstonWayne Johnston (author)Wayne Johnston is a Canadian novelist. His fiction deals primarily with the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, often in a historical setting.-Biography:...
, The Story of Bobby O'Malley - Susan Charlotte Haley, A Nest of Singing Birds
- Ann IrelandAnn IrelandAnn Ireland is a Canadian fiction author.Born in Toronto, Ontario, she studied at the University of British Columbia, from which she earned a BFA in creative writing in 1976. She is a past president of PEN Canada....
, A Certain Mr. Takahashi - Frank Jones, Master and Maid
- Robert Walshe, Wales' Work
1986
- Karen Lawrence, The Life of Helen Alone
- Jo Anne Williams Bennett, Downfall People
- Marc Diamond, Momentum
- David GilmourDavid Gilmour (writer)David Gilmour is a Canadian novelist and television journalist.He became managing editor of the Toronto International Film Festival in 1980, a post he held for four years. In 1986, he joined CBC Television as a film critic for The Journal, eventually becoming host of the program's Friday night...
, Back on Tuesday - Paulette JilesPaulette JilesPaulette Jiles-Johnson is an American-born Canadian poet and novelist. Born in Salem, Missouri, she was educated at the University of Illinois in Spanish literature...
, The Late Great Human Road Show
1987
- Marion QuednauMarion QuednauMarion Quednau is a Canadian author, poet and children's writer who lives in Mission, British Columbia. Her novel, The Butterfly Chair, won the 1987 Books in Canada First Novel Award. Her first children's novel, The Gift of Odin, was published in 2007...
, The Butterfly Chair - D.F. Bailey, Fire Eyes
- W.D. Barcus, Squatters' Island
- Pauline HoldstockPauline HoldstockPauline Holdstock is a British-Canadian essayist and writer of historical fiction. Into the Heart of the Country, her seventh novel, was published in 2011.Born in England, she came to Canada in 1974, and resides in Vancouver, British Columbia....
, The Blackbird's Song - Seán Virgo, Selakhi
1988
- Rick SalutinRick SalutinRick Salutin is a Canadian novelist, playwright, journalist, and critic and has been writing for more than forty years....
, A Man of Little Faith - Neil BissoondathNeil BissoondathNeil Devindra Bissoondath is a Canadian author who lives in Ste-Foy, Quebec. He is a noted writer of fiction, and also an outspoken critic of Canada's system of multiculturalism. He is the nephew of authors V.S. Naipaul and Shiva Naipaul.-Biography:Bissoondath attended St. Mary's College in...
, A Casual Brutality - Joan ClarkJoan ClarkJoan Clark BA, D.Litt is a Canadian fiction author.Born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Clark spent her youth in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. She attended Acadia University for its drama program, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree with English major in 1957...
, The Victory of Geraldine Gull - David Homel, Electrical Storms
- Janice Kulyk KeeferJanice Kulyk KeeferJanice Kulyk Keefer is a Canadian novelist and poet.Born in Toronto, she studied literature at universities in England and France, and currently teaches literature and theatre in the graduate studies department at the University of Guelph....
, Constellations - Helen Fogwill Porter, January, February, June or July
1989
- Sandra BirdsellSandra BirdsellSandra Louise Birdsell, CM is a Canadian novelist and short story writer of Métis and Mennonite heritage....
, The Missing Child - Marilyn BoweringMarilyn BoweringMarilyn Bowering is a Canadian poet, novelist and playwright. She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, and currently lives in Sooke, British Columbia...
, To All Appearances a Lady - Barry CallaghanBarry CallaghanBarry Morley Joseph Callaghan is a Canadian author, poet and anthologist. He is currently the editor-in-chief of Exile Quarterly.Born in Toronto, Ontario, he is the son of late Canadian novelist and short story writer, Morley Callaghan...
, The Way the Angel Spread Her Wings - Jacqueline Dumas, Madeleine and the Angel
- Kristjana GunnarsKristjana GunnarsKristjana Gunnars is an Icelandic-Canadian poet and novelist. Her volumes of poetry include Settlement Poems, which focuses on 19th century Icelandic settlers in Manitoba, and One-Eyed Moon Maps.-External links:...
, The Prowler - Kenneth Radu, Distant Relations
1990
- Nino RicciNino RicciNino Ricci is a Canadian novelist who lives in Toronto, Ontario. He was born in Leamington, Ontario to Italian immigrants, Virginio and Amelia Ricci, from the province of Isernia, Molise....
, Lives of the SaintsLives of the SaintsLives of the Saints is a novel by Nino Ricci. The author's first book, it forms the first part of a trilogy. The other two novels are In a Glass House and Where She Has Gone... - Gail BowenGail BowenGail Dianne Bowen, née Bartholomew is a Canadian playwright and writer of mystery novels.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bowen was educated at the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo and the University of Saskatchewan...
, Deadly AppearancesJoanne KilbournJoanne Kilbourn is a fictional Canadian detective, who appears in mystery novels by Gail Bowen.In Deadly Appearances, the first Kilbourn novel, she is a political strategist and advisor to Andy Boychuk, a politician who is murdered just hours after being elected Leader of the Opposition in the... - Rita Donovan, The Dark Jewels
- Glen HuserGlen HuserGlen Huser is a Canadian fiction writer.Vancouver School of Art, second year qualification, 1965; University of Alberta, B.Ed...
, Grace Lake - Margot LiveseyMargot LiveseyMargot Livesey is a Scottish born writer. She is the author of six novels, numerous short stories, and essays on the craft of writing fiction....
, Homework - Carsten Stroud, Sniper's Moon
1991
- Rohinton MistryRohinton MistryRohinton Mistry is an Indian-born Canadian writer in English. Residing in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, Mistry is of Indian origin, originally from Mumbai, Zoroastrian and belongs to the Parsi community. Mistry is a Neustadt International Prize for Literature laureate .-Biography:Rohinton Mistry was...
, Such a Long JourneySuch a Long Journey (novel)Such a Long Journey is a 1991 novel by Rohinton Mistry. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won several other awards. In 2010 the book made headlines when it was withdrawn from the University of Mumbai's English syllabus after complaints from the family of the Hindu nationalist politician... - Douglas CouplandDouglas CouplandDouglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated CultureGeneration X: Tales for an Accelerated CultureGeneration X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, published by St. Martin's Press in 1991, is the first novel by Douglas Coupland. The novel popularized the term Generation X, which refers to Americans and Canadians who reached adulthood in the late 1980s... - Ekbert FaasEkbert Faas- Background :An avid traveller, Faas hitchhiked throughout Europe and North Africa in his mid-teens and has kept up his globe-trotting ever since. During his student years, he lived, worked and studied in Munich, Paris, Madrid, Stockholm, Rome and London. A full professor of English Literature...
, Woyzeck's Head - Michael KenyonMichael KenyonMichael F. Kenyon was an American author of crime novels. Author of more than 20 humorous mystery novels, he was one of the first in the field of spoof-espionage story telling, but perhaps better known for the Superintendent O'Malley, and latterly Inspector Henry Peckover series of books...
, Kleinberg - Alberto ManguelAlberto ManguelAlberto Manguel is a Canadian Argentine-born writer, translator, and editor. He is the author of numerous non-fiction books such as The Dictionary of Imaginary Places , A History of Reading , The Library at Night and Homer's Iliad and Odyssey: A Biography ; and novels such as News...
, News From a Foreign Country Came
1992
- John StefflerJohn Steffler-Biography:Born in Toronto, Ontario, Steffler was educated at the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph. Since 1975 he has lived in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador where he taught at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College...
, The Afterlife of George Cartwright - Douglas Cooper, Amnesia
- Carole CorbeilCarole CorbeilCarole Corbeil was a Canadian arts critic and novelist. Born in Montreal to Québécois parents, her writing was often informed by the cultural displacement, and the subsequent sense of dual belonging, that she experienced when her parents divorced and her mother remarried to an anglophone...
, Voice-Over - Kenneth J. HarveyKenneth J. HarveyKenneth Joseph Thomas Harvey is a Canadian writer and filmmaker. Born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, his books are published in Canada, the US, the UK, Russia, Germany, China, Japan, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Italy, Turkey, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and France...
, Brud - Greg HollingsheadGreg HollingsheadGregory "Greg" Hollingshead is a Canadian novelist. He is currently a professor of English at the University of Alberta. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta...
, Spin Dry
1993
- Deborah Joy CoreyDeborah Joy CoreyDeborah Joy Corey is a Canadian writer whose first novel, Losing Eddie won the 1994 Books in Canada First Novel Award....
, Losing Eddie - Catherine BushCatherine BushCatherine Bush is a Canadian novelist.- Biography :Born in Toronto and educated at the University of Toronto Schools, she attended Yale University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature....
, Minus Time - Don Dickinson, The Crew
- Douglas HowDouglas HowDouglas George How was a Canadian journalist, magazine editor, and author. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba but after his father's death the family returned to Dorchester, New Brunswick where his mother was born and where Douglas grew up...
, Blow Up the Trumpet in the New Moon - Carol Malyon, If I Knew I'd Tell You
1994
- Shyam SelvaduraiShyam SelvaduraiShyam Selvadurai is a Sri Lankan Canadian novelist who wrote Funny Boy , which won the Books in Canada First Novel Award, and Cinnamon Gardens...
, Funny BoyFunny BoyFunny Boy is a coming-of-age novel by Canadian author Shyam Selvadurai. First published by McClelland and Stewart in September 1994, the novel won the Lambda Literary Award for gay male fiction and the Books in Canada First Novel Award.... - Charles ForanCharles ForanCharles Foran is a Canadian novelist and non-fiction writer living in Peterborough, Ontario.-Biography:Foran was born in August 1960 in Toronto to a Franco-Ontarian mother and a father from an Ottawa Irish family. He attended Catholic elementary school and Brebeuf College School, a Jesuit high...
, Kitchen Music - Diane SchoemperlenDiane SchoemperlenDiane Mavis Schoemperlen is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. She was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and educated at Lakehead University....
, In the Language of Love - Russell Smith, How Insensitive
- Cordelia StrubeCordelia StrubeCordelia Strube is a Canadian playwright and novelist.Raised in Montreal, Quebec, Strube began her career as an actor. After winning a CBC Literary Award for her first radio play, Mortal, she wrote nine more radio plays for CBC Radio before publishing her debut novel, Alex & Zee, in 1994. The novel...
, Alex & Zee
1995
- Keath FraserKeath FraserKeath Fraser is a Canadian fiction author . Keath Fraser lived in London, England from 1970 to 1973 where he studied at the University of London and he Earned his Ph.D. and taught English in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for five years as a tenured professor...
, Popular Anatomy - Diana Atkinson, Highways and Dancehalls
- Wayson ChoyWayson ChoyWayson Choy, CM is a Canadian writer.-Early life:Choy was born in Vancouver in 1939. A Chinese Canadian, he spent his childhood in the city's Chinatown...
, The Jade PeonyThe Jade PeonyThe Jade Peony is a novel by Wayson Choy. It was first published in 1995 by Douglas and McIntyre.The novel features stories told by three siblings, Jook-Liang, Jung-Sum and Sek-Lung or Sekky... - Larissa LaiLarissa LaiLarissa Lai is a Canadian writer, critic, and professor.Born in La Jolla, California, she grew up in St. John's, Newfoundland. She attended the University of British Columbia and, in 1990, graduated with a B.A. in Sociology. Subsequently, she earned her MA from the University of East Anglia, and...
, When Fox Is a Thousand - Yan Li, Daughters of the Red Land
1996
- Anne MichaelsAnne Michaels-Background:Anne Michaels was born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1958. Michaels attended Vaughan Road Academy and then later the University of Toronto, where she is an adjunct faculty in the Department of English. Her first book, The Weight of Oranges , a volume of poetry, was awarded the Commonwealth...
, Fugitive PiecesFugitive PiecesFugitive Pieces is a novel by Canadian poet Anne Michaels. First published in 1996 , it was awarded the Books in Canada First Novel Award, the Trillium Book Award, Orange Prize for Fiction and the Guardian Fiction Prize.... - Gail Anderson-DargatzGail Anderson-DargatzGail Kathryn Anderson-Dargatz is a Canadian novelist.Anderson-Dargatz was born in Salmon Arm, British Columbia and studied creative writing at the University of Victoria...
, The Cure for Death by Lightning - Ann-Marie MacDonaldAnn-Marie MacDonaldAnn-Marie MacDonald is a Canadian playwright, novelist, actor and broadcast journalist who lives in Toronto, Ontario. The daughter of a member of Canada's military, she was born at an air force base near Baden-Baden, West Germany....
, Fall on Your KneesFall on Your KneesFall on Your Knees is a novel by Canadian playwright, actor and novelist Ann-Marie MacDonald. The novel takes place in late 19th and early 20th centuries and chronicles four generations of the complex Piper Family. It is a story of "inescapable family bonds, terrible secrets, and of miracles"... - Yann MartelYann MartelYann Martel is a Canadian author best known for the Man Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi.-Early life:Martel was born in Salamanca, Spain where his father was posted as a diplomat for the Canadian government. He was raised in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, and Canada...
, SelfSelf (novel)Self is a novel by Yann Martel. It tells the story of a traveling writer who wakes up one morning to discover that he has become a woman. It was first published by Knopf Canada in 1996.-Plot summary:... - Shani MootooShani MootooShani Mootoo is a writer who was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1958 to Trinidadian parents. She was raised in Trinidad, where she initially began to explore the artistic and literary world. She began writing and creating visual that drew on her ideas regarding sexual relations between members of the...
, Cereus Blooms at NightCereus Blooms at NightCereus Blooms at Night is the first novel published by film-maker, artist, and writer Shani Mootoo. The novel recounts the story of an old lady named Mala Ramchandin through the narrative of Tyler, a male nurse at Paradise Alms House...
1997
- Margaret Gibson, Opium Dreams
- Kim EchlinKim EchlinKim Echlin is a Canadian writer. Her 2009 novel, The Disappeared, was a nominee for the 2009 Scotiabank Giller Prize.-Books:* Elephant Winter * Dagmar's Daughter * Inanna: From the Myth of Ancient Sumer...
, Elephant Winter - Allan LevineAllan LevineAllan Levine is a Canadian author from Winnipeg, Manitoba, known mainly for his award-winning non-fiction and historical mystery writing. As of 2004, Levine teaches history at St...
, The Blood Libel - Rabindranath MaharajRabindranath MaharajRabindranath Maharaj is a Canadian novelist, short story writer, and a founding editor of the literary journal Lichen...
, Homer in Flight - Tim WynveenTim WynveenTim Wynveen is a Canadian novelist. His 1997 debut novel, Angel Falls, won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book. He subsequently published Balloon in 1999 and Sweeter Life in 2003....
, Angel Falls
1998
- André AlexisAndré AlexisAndré Alexis is a Canadian writer who grew up in Ottawa and currently lives in Toronto, Ontario....
, Childhood - Loranne Brown, The Handless Maiden
- Tomson HighwayTomson HighwayTomson Highway, CM is a celebrated Canadian and Cree playwright, novelist, and children's author. He is the author of the plays The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, both of which won him the Dora Mavor Moore Award and the Floyd S...
, Kiss of the Fur QueenKiss of the Fur QueenKiss of the Fur Queen is a novel by Tomson Highway. It was first published by Doubleday Canada in September 1998.The novel's main characters are Champion and Ooneemeetoo Okimasis, two young Cree brothers from northern Manitoba who are taken from their family and sent to a residential school... - Terry JordanTerry Jordan (Canadian writer)Terry Jordan is a Canadian writer, based in Saskatchewan.He graduated from Trent University.He has taught creative writing at Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario, where he was the Margaret Lawrence Fellow in 1996; and Concordia University in Montreal in 1999-2000.His short story collection,...
, Beneath That Starry Place - Kerri SakamotoKerri SakamotoKerri Sakamoto is a Canadian novelist. Her novels commonly deal with the experience of Japanese Canadians.Sakamoto's debut novel, The Electrical Field , won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book. It also won the Canada-Japan Literary Award and was a finalist for a Governor General’s...
, The Electrical Field
1999
The 1999 award was a tie.- David MacfarlaneDavid MacfarlaneDavid Macfarlane is a Canadian journalist, playwright and novelist.He published a family memoir, The Danger Tree, in 1991...
, Summer GoneSummer GoneSummer Gone is the first novel by Canadian writer David Macfarlane. Published in 1999 by Knopf Canada, Summer Gone was a national bestseller in Canada. It was nominated for the Giller Prize, and won the Books in Canada First Novel Award.-Plot summary:... - Alan R. Wilson, Before the Flood
- Alistair MacLeodAlistair MacLeodAlistair MacLeod, OC is a noted Canadian author and retired professor of English at the University of Windsor.- Academic career :...
, No Great MischiefNo Great MischiefNo Great Mischief is a 1999 novel by Alistair MacLeod.The novel opens in the present day, with successful orthodontist Alexander MacDonald visiting his elderly older brother Calum in Toronto, Ontario... - Donna MorrisseyDonna MorrisseyDonna Morrissey is a Canadian author.At age 16 Morrissey left her birthplace, The Beaches, a small outport on the west coast of Newfoundland. She lived in various places of Canada before returning to St. John's where she studied at Memorial University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Social Work,...
, Kit's Law - Jim MunroeJim MunroeJim Munroe is a Canadian science fiction author, who publishes his works independently under the imprint No Media Kings.Munroe was managing editor at the magazine Adbusters in the 1990s, before publishing his debut novel Flyboy Action Figure Comes With Gasmask in 1999...
, Flyboy Action Figure Comes with Gasmask - Catherine Simmons-Niven, A Fine Daughter
2000
- Eva Stachniak, Necessary Lies
- Steven GallowaySteven GallowaySteven Galloway is a Canadian novelist.Galloway was born in Vancouver, and raised in Kamloops, British Columbia. He attended the University College of the Cariboo and the University of British Columbia. Galloway teaches for the UBC creative writing program...
, Finnie Walsh - Scott GardinerScott GardinerScott Gardiner is an Australian professional golfer.Gardiner has played on the PGA Tour of Australasia and its developmental tour, the Von Nida Tour, where he won once. He played on the European Tour from 2001 to 2003. He currently plays on the Nationwide Tour where he has one once, at the 2010...
, The Dominion of Wyley McFadden - Susan JubySusan JubySusan Juby is a Canadian novelist who works in several genres but is most widely recognized for her work in humorous young adult fiction.- Biography :...
, Alice, I Think - Lydia Kwa, This Place Called Absence
2001
- Michael RedhillMichael RedhillMichael Redhill is an American-born Canadian poet, playwright and novelist.Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Redhill was raised in the metropolitan Toronto, Ontario area. He pursued one year of study at Indiana University, and then returned to Canada, completing his education at York University and the...
, Martin Sloane - Dennis BockDennis BockDennis Bock is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. His latest novel, The Communist's Daughter, published in 2006 by HarperCollins in Canada and Knopf in the US, and later in France, the Netherlands, Greece and Poland, is a retelling of the final years in the life of the Canadian surgeon...
, The Ash GardenThe Ash GardenThe Ash Garden is a 2001 novel by Canadian author Dennis Bock. It is Bock's first novel, following on from Olympia, a collection of short stories published in 1998. The book follows the stories of three main characters affected by World War Two: Hiroshima bombing victim Emiko, German nuclear... - Michael CrummeyMichael CrummeyMichael Crummey is a Canadian poet and writer.Born in Buchans, Newfoundland and Labrador, Crummey grew up there and in Wabush, Labrador, where he moved with his family in the late 1970s. He began to write poetry while studying at Memorial University in St. John's, where he received a B.A. in...
, River Thieves - Marina EndicottMarina EndicottMarina Endicott is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. Her second novel, Good to a Fault, won the 2009 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Canada and the Caribbean and was short listed for the Giller Prize.-Personal life:...
, Open Arms - Linda Little, Strong Hollow
- Elizabeth RuthElizabeth RuthElizabeth Ruth is a Canadian novelist.Ruth was born in Windsor, Ontario, was raised by a single mother, and lived in the United States, Canada, and Colombia while growing up. Ruth earned an Honours BA and an MA from the University of Toronto.Before becoming a published writer, she worked in social...
, Ten Good Seconds of Silence
2002
- Mary LawsonMary LawsonMary Lawson is a Canadian novelist.Born in southwestern Ontario, she spent her childhood in Blackwell, Ontario and is a distant relative of L. M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. Her father worked as a research chemist...
, Crow LakeCrow Lake (novel)Crow Lake is a 2002 first novel written by Canadian author Mary Lawson. It won the Books in Canada First Novel Award in the same year and won the McKitterick Prize in 2003... - Christy Ann Conlin, Heave
- Aislinn HunterAislinn HunterAislinn Hunter BFA, MFA is a Canadian poetry and fiction author. She is married and currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia....
, Stay - Clint Hutzulak, The Beautiful Dead End
- Michael V. SmithMichael V. SmithMichael V. Smith is a Canadian novelist, poet and filmmaker, originally from Cornwall, Ontario and now living in Vancouver, British Columbia. His debut novel, Cumberland, was nominated for the Books in Canada First Novel Award in 2002...
, Cumberland - Marnie WoodrowMarnie WoodrowMarnie Woodrow is a Canadian writer and editor. She has also worked as a researcher/writer for TV and radio.Woodrow has published two short fiction collections, Why We Close Our Eyes When We Kiss in 1991 and In the Spice House in 1996, and the novel Spelling Mississippi in 2002...
, Spelling Mississippi
2003
- Michel BasilièresMichel BasilièresMichel Basilières is a Canadian writer.His debut novel, Black Bird, was published in 2003. A comic, magic realist take on the October Crisis of 1970, the novel won the Books in Canada First Novel Award for 2004 and was shortlisted for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and the...
, Black BirdBlack Bird (novel)Black Bird is a 2003 novel by Michel Basilières first published by Knopf Canada. Set in Montreal during a time that resembles the October Crisis, the novel centres on the Desouche household, where both English and French members live together in squalor... - Clayton Bailey, The Expedition
- John BemroseJohn BemroseJohn Bemrose is a Canadian arts journalist, novelist, poet and playwright.His arts reviews have appeared in Maclean's, The Globe and Mail, the National Post and on CBC Radio....
, The Island Walkers - Lisa Grekul, Kalyna's Song
- Bettina von Kampen, Blue Becomes You
- Edeet RavelEdeet RavelEdeet Ravel is an Israeli-Canadian novelist born in Israel and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She currently lives in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.-Background:...
, Ten Thousand Lovers
2004
- Colin McAdam, Some Great Thing
- David Elias, Sunday Afternoon
- Ibi KaslikIbi KaslikIbolya "Ibi" Kaslik is a Hungarian-Canadian novelist, freelance journalist, and teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto.-Early life:Kaslik attended high school at Etobicoke School of the Arts...
, SkinnySkinny (novel)Skinny is the debut novel by Hungarian-Canadian author Ibi Kaslik, first published by HarperCollins in May 2004. It appeared on the New York Times best sellers list for two consecutive weeks in 2008.-Summary:... - Arthur Motyer, What's Remembered
- Catherine Safer, Bishop's Road
2005
- Joseph BoydenJoseph BoydenJoseph Boyden is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. His first novel, Three Day Road won the Amazon/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize...
, Three Day RoadThree Day RoadThree Day Road is the first novel from Canadian writer Joseph Boyden. Joseph’s maternal grandfather, as well as an uncle on his father’s side, served as soldiers during the First World War, and Boyden draws upon a wealth of family narratives... - 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
2006
- Madeleine ThienMadeleine ThienMadeleine Thien is a Canadian short story writer and novelist.Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, she was educated at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia. In 2001 she was awarded the Canadian Authors Association Air Canada Award for most promising Canadian writer under...
, Certainty - Peter BehrensPeter Behrens (writer)Peter Behrens is a Canadian novelist, screenwriter and short story writer. His debut novel, The Law of Dreams, won the 2006 Governor General's Award for English fiction....
, The Law of DreamsThe Law of DreamsThe Law of Dreams is a historical fiction novel about the Irish potato famine by Canadian author Peter Behrens. Published in 2006 by House of Anansi Press, it was the recipient of that year's Governor General's Award for English language fiction.... - John Degen, The Uninvited Guest
- Annette LapointeAnnette LapointeAnnette Lapointe is a Canadian writer, whose debut novel Stolen was a longlisted nominee for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2006. Born in 1978 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, she was educated at the University of Saskatchewan, Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Manitoba.Stolen...
, Stolen - Heather O'NeillHeather O'NeillHeather O'Neill is a Canadian novelist, poet, short story writer, screenwriter and journalist. She was born in Montreal, but spent part of her childhood in the American South. She currently lives in Montreal....
, Lullabies for Little CriminalsLullabies for Little CriminalsLullabies for Little Criminals is a 2006 novel by Heather O'Neill.The book was chosen for inclusion in the 2007 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by musician John K. Samson... - Adam Lewis SchroederAdam Lewis SchroederAdam Lewis Schroeder is a Canadian novelist and short story writer.He completed an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. In 2001 Raincoast Books published his short fiction collection Kingdom of Monkeys which was shortlisted for the Danuta Gleed Award, awarded annually to...
, Empress of Asia
2007
- Gil AdamsonGil AdamsonGil Adamson is a Canadian writer. She won the Books in Canada First Novel Award in 2008 for her 2007 novel The Outlander.Adamson's first published work was Primitive, a volume of poetry, in 1991...
, The Outlander - David ChariandyDavid ChariandyDavid Chariandy is a Canadian writer. His debut novel Soucouyant was nominated for ten literary prizes and awards, including the 2009 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award , the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize , the 2007 Governor General's Award for Fiction , the 2007 ForeWord Book of the Year...
, Soucouyant - Kyo Maclear, The Letter Opener
- C.S. RichardsonC.S. RichardsonC.S. Richardson is a Canadian novelist, and book designer.His novel, The End of the Alphabet, won the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best first Book, Canada & the Caribbean...
, The End of the Alphabet - Brian Tucker, Big White Knuckles
- Andrew Wedderburn, The Milk Chicken Bomb
2008
- Joan ThomasJoan ThomasJoan Thomas is a Canadian novelist and short story writer, whose debut novel Reading By Lightning won the 2009 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book as well as the Amazon.ca First Book Award...
, Reading by Lightning - Mike Blouin, Chase & Haven
- Claudia DeyClaudia DeyClaudia Dey is a Canadian writer. She was born in Toronto, Ontario. She studied English Literature at McGill University and playwriting at the National Theatre School of Canada.Dey's first novel, Stunt, was published by Coach House Books...
, Stunt - Patrick LanePatrick LanePatrick Lane is an award-winning Canadian poet. He has written in several other genres, including essays, short stories, and is the author of the novel Red Dog, Red Dog.-Biography:...
, Red Dog, Red Dog - Mary SwanMary SwanMary Swan is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. She is also a trained librarian with a keen eye for history. Her novel The Boys in the Trees, a shortlisted nominee for the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize. was inspired by a newspaper clipping concerning a death within a family.Swan was the...
, The Boys in the Trees
2009
- Jessica GrantJessica GrantJessica Grant is a Canadian writer, whose debut novel Come, Thou Tortoise won the 2009 Winterset Award and the 2009 Books in Canada First Novel Award....
, Come, Thou Tortoise - Diana Fitzgerald Bryden, No Place Strange
- Annabel LyonAnnabel LyonAnnabel Lyon is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. She's published two collections of short fiction, two young adult novels, and an adult historical novel, The Golden Mean.-Life and work:...
, The Golden Mean - Damian Tarnopolsky, Goya's Dog
- Dragan TodorovićDragan TodorovicNot to be confused with Dragan Todorović, Serbian politician.Dragan Todorović is a writer and multimedia artist...
, Diary of Interrupted Days - Ian Weir, Daniel O'Thunder
2010
- Eleanor CattonEleanor CattonEleanor Catton is a New Zealand author best known for her 2007 debut novel, The Rehearsal. The book deals with reactions to an affair between a male teacher and Victoria, a girl at his secondary school, as well as the more muted response to the death of another pupil...
, The Rehearsal - Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall, Ghosted
- Miguel Syjuco, Ilustrado
- Kathleen Winter, Annabel
- Dianne Warren, Cool Water