Commonwealth Writers Prize
Christchurch City Libraries lists literary prize winners and links to catalogue searches, but we may not hold copies of all titles mentioned.
The Commonwealth Writers Prize was established in 1987 and was sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation with the support of the Macquarie Foundation. Any work of prose fiction was eligible, i.e. a novel or collection of short stories. The work had to have been written by a citizen of the Commonwealth, be of a reasonable length and be in English. There was no restriction on setting, theme or mode. Each regional winner received £1,000. The overall best book winner received £10,000 and the overall best first book winner received £5,000.
In 2011 the Commonwealth Writers Prize was awarded for the final time. The award was re-launched with new prizes in 2012, under the name Commonwealth Writers.
2011
- Best book
- The memory of love Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone)
- Best first book
A man melting Craig Cliff (New Zealand)
2010
- Best book
- Solo Rana Dasgupta (India/United Kingdom)
- Best first book
- Siddon Rock Glenda Guest (Australia)
2009
- Best book
- The lost colours of the chameleon Mandla Langa (South Africa)
- Best first book
- Say you’re one of them Uwem Akpan (Nigeria)
Aucklander Mo Zhi Hong’s The year of the Shanghai shark won the Best First Book Prize for South East Asia and the South Pacific. Two other New Zealand authors were shortlisted for the awards: Paula Morris’s Forbidden cities in the best book section, and Bridget Van der Zijpp (Misconduct) in the best first book section alongside Hong.
2008
- Best book
- The book of Negroes Lawrence Hill (Canada)
- Best first book
- A golden age Tahmima Anam (Bangladesh)
2007
- Best book
Mister Pip Lloyd Jones (New Zealand)- Best first book
- Vandal love D.Y. Bechard (Canada)
2006
- Best book
- The secret river Kate Grenville (Australia)
- Best first book
- Suspended sentences: fictions of atonement Mark McWatt (Guyana)
2005
- Best book
- Small island Andrea Levy (United Kingdom)
- Best first book
-
Purple hibiscus Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria)
2004
- Best book
- A distant shore Caryl Phillips (United Kingdom)
- Best first book
- The curious incident of the dog in the night-time Mark Haddon (United Kingdom)
2003
- Best book
- The polished hoe Austin Clarke (Canada)
- Best first book
-
Haweswater Sarah Hall (United Kingdom)
2002
- Best book
- Gould’s book of fish Richard Flanagan (Australia)
- Best first book
- Ama, a story of the Atlantic slave trade Manu Herbstein (South Africa)
2001
- Best book
- True history of the Kelly Gang Peter Carey (Australia)
- Best first book
- White teeth Zadie Smith (United Kingdom)
2000
- Best book
Disgrace J. M. Coetzee (South Africa)- Best first book
- Prisoner in a red-rose chain Jeffrey Moore (Canada)
1999
- Best book
- Eucalyptus Murray Bail (Australia)
- Best first book
- The electrical field Kerri Sakamoto (Canada)
1998
- Best book
- Jack Maggs Peter Carey (Australia)
- Best first book
- Angel Falls Tim Wynveen (Canada)
1997
- Best book
- Salt Earl Lovelace (Trinidad)
- Best first book
Fall on your knees Ann-Marie MacDonald (Canada)
1996
- Best book
- A fine balance Rohinton Mistry (Canada)
- Best first book
- Red earth and pouring rain Vikram Chandra (India)
1995
- Best book
- Captain Corelli’s mandolin Louis de Bernieres (United Kingdom)
- Best first book
- Seasonal adjustments Adib Khan (Australia)
1994
- Best book
A suitable boy Vikram Seth (India)- Best first book
- The case of Emily V Keith Oatley (United Kingdom)
1993
- Best book
- The ancestor game Alex Miller (Australia)
- Best first book
- The thousand faces of night Gita Hariharan (India)
1992
- Best book
Such a long journey Rohinton Mistry (Canada)- Best first book
- Divina Trace Robert Antoni (Bahamas)
1991
- Best book
- The great world David Malouf (Australia)
- Best first book
- Shape-Shifter Pauline Melville (Guyana)
1990
- Best book
- Solomon Gursky was here Mordecai Richler (Canada)
- Best first book
- Visitors John Cranna (New Zealand)
1989
- Best book
The Carpathians Janet Frame (New Zealand)- Best first book
- Women of influence Bonnie Burnard (Canada)
1988
- Best book
- Heroes Festus Iyayi (Nigeria)
1987
- Best book
- Summer lightning Olive Senior (Canada)
