Tanya Tagaq (Rebecca Wood)

The shortlist for the 2019 Amazon Canada First Novel Award has been announced. Of the six finalists, two titles from Arsenal Pulp Press, Casey Plett’s Little Fish and Tanya Tagaq’s Split Tooth, were recognized.

This year’s grand prize is $60,000, up from the $40,000 taken by last year’s winner Michael Kaan for The Water Beetles. The winner will be announced on May 22 at a gala in Toronto. The other finalists each receive $6,000.

• The Amateurs, Liz Harmer (Knopf Canada)
• Searching for Terry Punchout, Tyler Hellard (Invisible Publishing)
• Little Fish, Casey Plett (Arsenal Pulp Press)
• Split Tooth, Tanya Tagaq (Viking Canada)
• Jonny Appleseed, Joshua Whitehead (Arsenal Pulp Press)
• Reproduction, Ian Williams (Penguin Random House Canada)