Year Title Author
2014 The Back of the Turtle Thomas King
Lake of Two Mountains Arleen Paré
Age of Minority: Three Solo Plays Jordan Tannahill
The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We’ve Lost in a World of Constant Connection
Michael Harris
When Everything Feels like the Movies Raziel Reid
This One Summer Jillian Tamaki
Paul-Émile Borduas: A Critical Biography Peter Feldstein
2013 The Luminaries Eleanor Catton
North End Love Songs Katherena Vermette
Fault Lines: Three Plays Nicolas Billon
Journey with No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page Sandra Djwa
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B Teresa Toten
Northwest Passage Matt James
The Major Verbs Donald Winkler
2
Year Title Author
2012 The Purchase Linda Spalding
Monkey Ranch Julie Bruck
It is Solved by Walking Catherine Banks
Leonardo and the Last Supper Ross King
The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen Susin Nielsen
Virginia Wolf Isabelle Arsenault
Mai at the Predators’ Ball Nigel Spencer
2011 The Sisters Brothers Patrick deWitt
Killdeer Phil Hall
If We Were Birds Erin Shields
Mordecai: The Life & Times Charles Foran
From Then to Now: A Short History of the World
Christopher Moore
Ten Birds Cybèle Young
Partita for Glenn Gould Donald Winkler
3
Year Title Author
2010 Cool Water Dianne Warren
Boxing the Compass Richard Greene
Afterimage Robert Chafe
Lakeland: Journeys into the Soul of Canada Allan Casey
Fishtailing Wendy Phillips
Cats’ Night Out Jon Klassen
Forests Linda Gaboriau
2009 The Mistress of Nothing Kate Pullinger
The Fly in Autumn David Zieroth
Where the Blood Mixes Kevin Loring
A Place Within: Rediscovering India M.G. Vassanji
Greener Grass: The Famine Years Caroline Pignat
Bella’s Tree Jirina Marton
Pieces of Me Susan Ouriou
4
Year Title Author
2008 The Origin of Species Nino Ricci
More to Keep Us Warm Jacob Scheier
Bone Cage Catherine Banks
Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship,Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army
Christie Blatchford
The Landing John Ibbitson
The Owl and the Pussycat Stéphane Jorisch
Nikolski Lazer Lederhendler
2007 Divisadero Michael Ondaatje
All Our Wonder Unavenged Don Domanski
The December Man (L’homme de décembre) Colleen Murphy
I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land:A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad
Karolyn Smardz Frost
Gemini Summer Iain Lawrence
The Boy from the Sun Duncan Weller
Augustino and the Choir of Destruction Nigel Spencer
5
Year Title Author
2006 The Law of Dreams Peter Behrens
Stumbling in the Bloom John Pass
I Still Love You Daniel MacIvor
The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism
Ross King
Pirate’s Passage William Gilkerson
Ancient Thunder Leo Yerxa
Vetiver Hugh Hazelton
2005 A Perfect Night to Go to China David Gilmour
Processional Anne Compton
Half Life John Mighton
The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed
John Vaillant
The Crazy Man Pamela Porter
Imagine a Day Rob Gonsalves
Truth or Death: The Quest for Immortalityin the Western Narrative Tradition
Fred A. Reed
6
Year Title Author
2004 A Complicated Kindness Miriam Toews
Short Journey Upriver Toward Ōishida Roo Borson
Girl in the Goldfish Bowl Morris Panych
Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda
Lt.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire
Airborn Kenneth Oppel
Jabberwocky Stéphane Jorisch
Mirabel Judith Cowan
2003 Elle Douglas Glover
Kill-site Tim Lilburn
Einstein’s Gift Vern Thiessen
Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World Margaret MacMillan
Stitches Glen Huser
The Song Within My Heart Allen Sapp
Memoirs of a Less Travelled Road: A Historian’s Life
Jane Brierley
7
Year Title Author
2002 A Song for Nettie Johnson Gloria Sawai
Surrender Roy Miki
Unity (1918) Kevin Kerr
Saboteurs: Wiebo Ludwig’s War Against Big Oil
Andrew Nikiforuk
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl Martha Brooks
Alphabeasts Wallace Edwards
Thunder and Light Nigel Spencer
2001 Clara Callan Richard B. Wright
Execution Poems George Elliott Clarke
The Harps of God Kent Stetson
The Ingenuity Gap Thomas Homer-Dixon
Dust Arthur Slade
An Island in the Soup Mireille Levert
Fairy Ring Fred A. Reed andDavid Homel
8
Year Title Author
2000 Anil’s Ghost Michael Ondaatje
Another Gravity Don McKay
Elizabeth Rex Timothy Findley
Notes from the Hyena’s Belly Nega Mezlekia
Looking for X Deborah Ellis
Yuck, a Love Story Marie-Louise Gay
Just Fine Robert Majzels
1999 Elizabeth and After Matt Cohen
Songs for Relinquishing the Earth Jan Zwicky
The Drawer Boy Michael Healey
Water Marq de Villiers
A Screaming Kind of Day Rachna Gilmore
The Great Poochini Gary Clement
Gabrielle Roy: A Life Patricia Claxton
9
Year Title Author
1998 Forms of Devotion Diane Schoemperlen
White Stone: The Alice Poems Stephanie Bolster
Harlem Duet Djanet Sears
Lines on the Water – A Fisherman’s Life on the Miramichi
David Adams Richards
The Hollow Tree Janet Lunn
A Child’s Treasury of Nursery Rhymes Kady MacDonald Denton
Bambi and Me Sheila Fischman
1997 The Underpainter Jane Urquhart
Land to Light On Dionne Brand
fareWel Ian Ross
Drumblair – Memories of a Jamaican Childhood Rachel Manley
Awake and Dreaming Kit Pearson
The Party Barbara Reid
The Euguelion Howard Scott
10
Year Title Author
1996 The Englishman’s Boy Guy Vanderhaeghe
Apostrophes: Woman at a Piano E.D. Blodgett
The Monument Colleen Wagner
The Unconscious Civilization John Ralston Saul
Ghost Train Paul Yee
The Rooster’s Gift Eric Beddows
Stone and Ashes Linda Gaboriau
1995 The Roaring Girl Greg Hollingshead
Voice Anne Szumigalski
Three in the Back, Two in the Head Jason Sherman
Shadow Maker: The Life ofGwendolyn MacEwen
Rosemary Sullivan
The Maestro Tim Wynne-Jones
The Last Quest of Gilgamesh Ludmila Zeman
Why Must a Black Writer Write About Sex? David Homel
11
Year Title Author
1994 A Discovery of Strangers Rudy Wiebe
Cantos from a Small Room Robert Hilles
The Ends of the Earth Morris Panych
Rogue Primate John A. Livingston
Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me Julie Johnston
Josepha: A Prairie Boy’s Story Murray Kimber
The Lyric Generation Donald Winkler
1993 The Stone Diaries Carol Shields
Forests of the Medieval World Don Coles
Fronteras Americanas Guillermo Verdecchia
Touch the Dragon Karen Connelly
Some of the Kinder Planets Tim Wynne-Jones
Sleep Tight, Mrs. Ming Mireille Levert
Categorics One, Two and Three D.G. Jones
12
Year Title Author
1992 The English Patient Michael Ondaatje
Inventing the Hawk Lorna Crozier
Possible Worlds and A Short History of Night John Mighton
Revenge of the Land: A Century of Greed, Tragedy and Murder on a Saskatchewan Farm
Maggie Siggins
Hero of Lesser Causes Julie Johnston
Waiting for the Whales Ron Lightburn
Imagining the Middle East Fred A. Reed
1991 Such a Long Journey Rohinton Mistry
Night Field Don McKay
Amigo’s Blue Guitar Joan MacLeod
Occupied Canada: A Young White Man Discovers His Unsuspected Past
Robert Hunter andRobert Calihoo
Doctor Kiss Says Yes Joanne Fitzgerald
Pick-Up Sticks Sarah Ellis
A Dictionary of Literary Devices: Gradus, A-Z Albert W. Halsall
13
Year Title Author
1990 Lives of the Saints Nino Ricci
No Time Margaret Avison
Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) Ann-Marie MacDonald
Trudeau and Our Times Stephen Clarkson andChristina McCall
The Orphan Boy Paul Morin
Redwork Michael Bedard
Yellow-Wolf and Other Tales of the Saint Lawrence
Jane Brierley
1989 Whale Music Paul Quarrington
The Word for Sand Heather Spears
The Other Side of the Dark Judith Thompson
Willie: The Life of W. Somerset Maugham Robert Calder
The Magic Paintbrush Robin Muller
Bad Boy Diana Wieler
On the Eighth Day Wayne Grady
14
Year Title Author
1988 Nights Below Station Street David Adams Richards
Furious Erin Mouré
Nothing Sacred George F. Walker
In the Sleep Room Anne Collins
Amos’s Sweater Kim LaFave
The Third Magic Welwyn Wilton Katz
Second Chance Philip Stratford
1987 A Dream Like Mine M.T. Kelly
Afterworlds Gwendolyn MacEwen
Prague John Krizanc
The Russian Album Michael Ignatieff
Rainy Day Magic Marie-Louise Gay
Galahad Schwartz and the Cochroach Army Morgan Nyberg
Enchantment and Sorrow: The Autobiography of Gabrielle Roy
Patricia Claxton
15
Year Title Author
1986 The Progress of Love Alice Munro
The Collected Poems of Al Purdy Al Purdy
Doc Sharon Pollock
Northrop Frye on Shakespeare Northrop Frye
1985 The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood
Waiting for Saskatchewan Fred Wah
Criminals in Love George F. Walker
The Regenerators: Social Criticism in Late Victorian English Canada
Ramsay Cook
1984 The Engineer of Human Souls Josef Skvorecky
Celestial Navigation Paulette Jiles
White Biting Dog Judith Thompson
The Private Capital: Ambition and Love in the Age of Macdonald and Laurier
Sandra Gwyn
16
Year Title Author
1983 Shakespeare’s Dog Leon Rooke
Settlements David Donnell
Quiet in the Land Anne Chislett
Byng of Vimy: General and Govenor General Jeffery Williams
1982 Man Descending Guy Vanderhaeghe
The Vision Tree: Selected Poems Phyllis Webb
Billy Bishop Goes To War, a play by John Gray with Eric Peterson
John Gray
Louisbourg Portraits: Life in anEighteenth-Century Garrison Town
Christopher Moore
1981 Home Truths: Selected Canadian Stories Mavis Gallant
The Collected Poems of F.R. Scott F.R. Scott
Blood Relations Sharon Pollock
Caribou and the Barren-Lands George Calef
17
Year Title Author
1980 Burning Water George Bowering
McAlmon’s Chinese Opera Stephen Scobie
Discipline of Power: The ConservativeInterlude and the Liberal Restoration
Jeffrey Simpson
1979 The Resurrection of Joseph Bourne Jack Hodgins
Emily Carr: A Biography Maria Tippett
There’s a Trick with a Knife I’m Learning to Do Michael Ondaatje
1978 Go Boy Roger Caron
Who Do You Think You Are? Alice Munro
Poems New and Selected Patrick Lane
1977 The Wars Timothy Findley
Essays on the Constitution Frank Scott
Under the Thunder the FlowersLight up the Earth
D.G. Jones
18
Year Title Author
1976 The Writing of Canadian History Carl Berger
Bear Marian Engel
Top Soil Joe Rosenblatt
1975 Hallowed Walls Marion MacRae andAnthony Adamson
The Great Victorian Collection Brian Moore
The Island Means Minago Milton Acorn
1974 Fire on Stone Ralph Gustafson
The Diviners Margaret Laurence
The Siren Years Charles Ritchie
1973 Painters in a New Land Michael Bell
Lions at her Face Miriam Mandel
The Temptations of Big Bear Rudy Wiebe
19
Year Title Author
1972 The Manticore Robertson Davies
Civil Elegies and Other Poems Dennis Lee
Lies John Newlove
1971 The Last Spike Pierre Berton
Selected Poems John Glassco
St. Urbain’s Horseman Mordecai Richler
1970 The New Ancestors Dave Godfrey
Still Water bpNichol
The True Eventual Story of Billy The Kid bpNichol
Beach Head bpNichol
The cosmic chef: an evening of concrete bpNichol
The Collected Works of Billy the Kid Michael Ondaatje
20
Year Title Author
1969 Rocky Mountain Foot and The Gangs of Kosmos
George Bowering
The Studhorse Man Robert Kroetsch
The Shadow-Maker Gwendolyn MacEwen
1968 Selected Poems 1956-68 Leonard Cohen
Dance of the Happy Shades Alice Munro
Cocksure and Hunting Tigers Under Glass Mordecai Richler
1967 An Idiot Joy Eli Mandel
Bread, Wine and Salt Alden Nowlan
The Oxford Companion to Canadian History and Literature
Norah Story
1966 The Circle Game Margaret Atwood
A Jest of God Margaret Laurence
The Crystal Spirit: A Study of George Orwell George Woodcock
21
Year Title Author
1965 In Defence of Canada James Eayrs
The Cariboo Horses Alfred Purdy
1964 John Addington Symonds Phyllis Grosskurth
The Deserter Douglas LePan
The Colour of the Times Raymond Souster
1963 Brown of the Globe J.M.S. Careless
Hugh Garner’s Best Stories Hugh Garner
1962 Running to Paradise Kildare Dobbs
The Gutenberg Galaxy Marshall McLuhan
Twelve Letters to a Small Townand The Killdeer and Other Plays
James Reaney
22
Year Title Author
1961 Acis in Oxford Robert Finch
The Ascent of Life T.A. Goudge
Hear Us O Lord from Heaven Thy Dwelling Place
Malcolm Lowry
1960 Winter Sun Margaret Avison
The Luck of Ginger Coffey Brian Moore
In Search of Canadian Liberalism Frank H. Underhill
1959 Red Carpet for the Sun Irving Layton
The Watch that Ends the Night Hugh MacLennan
1958 Execution Colin McDougall
A Suit of Nettles James Reaney
Klondike Pierre Berton
The History of Fanny Burney Joyce Hemlow
Nkwala Edith L. Sharp
23
Year Title Author
1957 Street of Riches (translation) Gabrielle Roy
The Boatman Jay Macpherson
Canada: Tomorrow’s Giant Bruce Hutchison
The Path of Destiny Thomas H. Raddall
The Great Chief Kerry Wood
1956 The Sacrifice Adele Wiseman
A Window on the North Robert A.D. Ford
The Mysterious North Pierre Berton
Century of Conflict Joseph Lister Rutledge
Lost in the Barrens Farley Mowat
1955 The Sixth of June Lionel Shapiro
Friday’s Child Wilfred Watson
Man’s Emerging Mind N.J. Berrill
John A. Macdonald, The Old Chieftain Donald G. Creighton
The Map-Maker Kerry Wood
24
Year Title Author
1954 The Fall of a Titan Igor Gouzenko
The Metal and the Flower P.K. Page
Thirty and Three Hugh MacLennan
This Most Famous Stream A.R.M. Lower
The Nor’westers Marjorie Wilkins Campbell
1953 Digby David Walker
The Net and the Sword Douglas LePan
Sex and the Nature of Things N.J. Berrill
Canada, A Story of Challenge J.M.S. Careless
Rebels Ride at Night John F. Hayes
1952 The Pillar David Walker
Towards the Last Spike E.J. Pratt
The Incredible Canadian Bruce Hutchison
John A. Macdonald, The Young Politician Donald G. Creighton
Cargoes on the Great Lakes Marie McPhedran
25
Year Title Author
1951 The Loved and the Lost Morley Callaghan
The Mulgrave Road Charles Bruce
The Ardent Exile Josephine Phelan
The Government of Prince Edward Island Frank MacKinnon
A Land Divided John F. Hayes
1950 The Outlander (translation) Germaine Guèvremont
Of Time and the Lover James Wreford Watson
The Saskatchewan Marjorie Wilkins Campbell
The Progressive Party in Canada W.L. Morton
The Great Adventure Donalda Dickie
1949 Mr. Ames Against Time Philip Child
The Red Heart James Reaney
Cross-country Hugh MacLennan
Democratic Government in Canada R. MacGregor Dawson
26
Year Title Author
1948 The Precipice Hugh MacLennan
The Rocking Chair and Other Poems A.M. Klein
Halifax, Warden of the North Thomas H. Raddall
The Canadian Army, 1939-1945 C.P. Stacey
1947 The Tin Flute (translation) Gabrielle Roy
Poems for People Dorothy Livesay
Haida William Sclater
The Government of Canada R. MacGregor Dawson
1946 Continental Revue Winifred Bambrick
Poems Robert Finch
In Search of Myself Frederick Philip Grove
Colony to Nation A.R.M. Lower
27
Year Title Author
1945 Two Solitudes Hugh MacLennan
Now is Time Earle Birney
We Keep a Light Evelyn M. Richardson
Gauntlet to Overlord Ross Munro
1944 Earth and High Heaven Gwethalyn Graham
Day and Night Dorothy Livesay
Partner in Three Worlds Dorothy Duncan
The War: Fourth Year Edgar McInnis
1943 The Pied Piper of Dipper Creek Thomas H. Raddall
News of the Phoenix A.J.M. Smith
The Incomplete Anglers John D. Robins
On Canadian Poetry E.K. Brown
28
Year Title Author
1942 Little Man G. Herbert Sallans
David and Other Poems Earle Birney
The Unknown Country Bruce Hutchison
The Unguarded Frontier Edgar McInnis
1941 Three Came to Ville Marie Alan Sullivan
Calling Adventurers Anne Marriott
Klee Wyck Emily Carr
1940 Thirty Acres (translation) Ringuet (pseud.)
Brébeuf and His Brethren E.J. Pratt
Slava Bohu J.F.C. Wright
1939 The Champlain Road Franklin D. McDowell
Under the Sun Arthur S. Bourinot
Confessions of an Immigrant’s Daughter Laura G. Salverson
29
Year Title Author
1938 Swiss Sonata Gwethalyn Graham
By Stubborn Stars Kenneth Leslie
Canadian Mosaic John Murray Gibbon
1937 The Dark Weaver Laura G. Salverson
The Fable of the Goats E.J. Pratt
My Discovery of the West Stephen Leacock
1936 Think of The Earth Bertram Brooker
T.B.R.—newspaper pieces T.B. Roberton