Vancouver-based Anakana Schofield was announced as the winner of the 2012 Amazon.ca First Novel Award yesterday evening. The Irish-Canadian author of Malarky (Biblioasis) was presented with a $7,500 cheque at a ceremony hosted by Jian Ghomeshi at Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel.

The other finalists for the award were Marjorie Celona for Y (Hamish Hamilton Canada), Scott Fotheringham for The Rest Is Silence (Goose Lane Editions), Pasha Malla for People Park (House of Anansi Press), and Kim Thúy for Ru (Random House Canada).

The jury comprised The Writers’ Union of Canada executive director John Degan, author Alexei Zentner, and Meaghan Strimas, academic coordinator for creative writing at the University of Guelph. The jury selected the winner from a shortlist chosen by Quill & Quire editor Stuart Woods.