The Winner of the 2025 Amazon First Novel Award Has Been Revealed!

The winner of the 2025 Amazon First Novel Award is Valérie Bah, author of Subterrane (Esplanade Books/Véhicule Press), as revealed in yet another majestic CanLit event that took place at the spectacular penthouse offices of The Globe and Mail building.

The award comes with a $60,000 prize. Each of the finalists receive $6,000. This year the judging panel was composed of Jean Marc Ah-Sen, Liz Harmer, Chelene Knight, and Shani Mootoo. 

The First Novel Award was established in 1976. The most recent winner was Alicia Elliott for And Then She Fell.

The full list of finalists is as follows:

Subterrane by Valérie Bah (Esplanade Books/Véhicule Press)
When We Were Ashes by Andrew Boden (Goose Lane Editions)
Juiceboxers by Benjamin Hertwig (Freehand Books)
Oil People by David Huebert (McClelland & Stewart/Penguin Random House Canada)
How It Works Out by Myriam Lacroix (Doubleday Canada/Penguin Random House Canada)
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue (HarperCollins Publishers)

Always a favourite moment for everyone in attendance each year, the winner of the 2025 Amazon Canada Youth Short Story Award was also handed out. Authors between the ages of 13 and 17 were eligible to submit a short story under 3,000 words.

The 2025 winner in the Youth Short Story category was Vicky Zhu Wins for “Suzanne.”

The winner receives $5,000, and the five finalists each receive $500.

The finalists in this category were:

Emma Chappel, “Lost Boy”
Willow Greenfield, “Autumn Nights”
Thivya Jeyapalan, “In The Chair”
Victoria Nguyen, “Heed My Prayers”
Abbie Pasowisty, “The Colour of Your Thoughts”
Vicky Zhu, “Suzanne”

Congratulations to all of the winners tonight, and to all of the deserving finalists!

For additional information about the winners, finalists, and the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, visit amazon.ca/fna or thewalrus.ca/afna.