Quebec author and filmmaker Valérie Bah is the 2025 winner of the Amazon Canada First Novel Award.
Bah was awarded the $60,000 prize on Thursday evening for her novel “Subterrane,” a speculative comedy that tells the story of the fictional metropolis of New Stockholm, where Black and queer voices are being pushed further underground by urban prosperity.
“I’m so elated to receive this award for ‘Subterrane,’ which touches on liberation and creativity as an indelible part of the human experience,” Bah told the Star in an email. “This feels like a timely theme, and I hope it resonates with readers.”
The novel was chosen by a panel of four judges from among a six-book shortlist, beating out English-language debuts from Andrew Boden, Benjamin Hertwig, David Huebert, Myriam Lacroix and Natalie Sue. Each shortlisted author also received a prize of $6,000.
“‘Subterrane expands and challenges the representation of Blackness in literature in a way that feels truly groundbreaking,” Jean Marc Ah-Sen, a Toronto-based author who was among the prize’s judges, told the Star. “When you encounter a book like that, whether it’s as a reader or as a jury member, you know that it deserves the widest audience possible.”
The First Novel Award ceremony, which was co-presented by Amazon Canada and The Walrus, took place at the Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto.
Earlier in the evening, 17-year-old writer Vicki Zhu was awarded a $5,000 prize for the Youth Short Story category. Zhu’s short story, “Suzanne,” beat out hundreds of entries from Canadian writers between the ages of 13 and 17. The story will be published in The Walrus later this year.
The five other finalists in the Youth category, awarded for the eighth year, were Emma Chappel, Willow Greenfield, Thivya Jeyapalan, Victoria Nguyen and Abbie Pasowisty.
The First Novel Award has been awarded since 1976. Among the previous winners are heavyweight authors like Michael Ondaatje, Madeleine Thien and Mona Awad. Mohawk writer Alicia Elliott won the prize last year for her novel “And Then She Fell.”
The First Novel Award shortlist
- “When We Were Ashes” by Andrew Boden of Burnaby, B.C. tells the story of a group of disabled children in Nazi Germany.
- “Juiceboxers” by Edmonton’s Benjamin Hertwig explores the lives of four young men sent to fight with the military in Afghanistan
- “Oil People” by Halifax author David Huebert is a generational saga and “eco-gothic fable” about a family that discovers oil in Lambton County, Ont.
- “How It Works Out” by Vancouver’s Myriam Lacroix is a dark but tender comedy that explores how a queer love story might play out in many alternate realities.
- “I Hope This Finds You Well” by Calgary’s Natalie Sue is a heartwarming office comedy about a woman who accidentally gains access to her co-workers’ private emails and DMs.
