The nominees for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award (formerly the Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award) have been announced. The award, which was first handed out in 1976, comes with a purse of $7,500. The six shortlisted books are:

Chase and Haven by Michael Blouin (Coach House Books)
Stunt by Claudia Dey (Coach House Books)
Red Dog, Red Dog by Patrick Lane (McClelland & Stewart)
The Boys in the Trees by Mary Swan (Henry Holt/H.B. Fenn and Company)
Reading by Lightning by Joan Thomas (Goose Lane Editions)
The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan (Random House Canada)

The shortlist was selected by Aritha van Herk. The winner, who will join previous winners such as Michael Ondaatje, Gil Adamson, and Joseph Boyden, will be announced in September.