The Books in Canada 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 Smithboooks 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 Chapters decided to end its affiliation with the award and it is now officially the Amazon.com/Books in Canada First Novel Award
Winners:
- 2002 - Mary Lawson, Crow Lake
- 2001 - Michael Redhill, Martin Sloane
- 2000 - Eva Stachniak, Necessary Lies
- 1999 - Andre Alexis, Childhood
- 1998 - Margaret Gibson, Opium Dreams
- 1997 - Anne Michaels, Fugitive Pieces
- 1996 - Keath Fraser, Popular Anatomy
- 1995 - Shyam Selvadurai, Funny Boy: A Novel in Six Stories
- 1994 - Deborah Joy Corey, Losing Eddie: A Novel
- 1993 - John Steffler, The Afterlife of George Cartwright: A Novel
- 1992 - Rohinton Mistry, Such a Long Journey
- 1991 - Nino Ricci, Lives of the Saints
- 1990 - Sandra Birdsell, The Missing Child
- 1989 - Rick Salutin, A Man of Little Faith
- 1988 - Marion Quednau, The Butterfly Chair
- 1987 - Karen Lawrence, The Life of Helen Alone
- 1986 - Wayne Johnson, The Story of Bobby O'Mally
- 1985 - G. Ursell, Perdue, or How the West Was Lost
- 1984 - Heather Robertson, Willie
- 1983 - W.P. Kinsella, Shoeless Joe
- 1982 - Joy Kogawa, Obasan
- 1981 - W.D. Valgardson, Gentle Sinners
- 1980 - Clark Blaise, Lunar Attractions
- 1977 - Michael Ondaatje, Coming Through Slaughter
