the Earth Turns Silver. Penguin Group (NZ) 2009 – Emily Perkins, A Novel About My Wife. Bloomsbury 2008 – Charlotte Grimshaw, Opportunity. Random House NZ 2007 – Lloyd Jones, Mister Pip. Penguin 2006 – Maurice Gee, Blindsight. Penguin 2005 – Patricia Grace, Tu. Penguin Group (NZ) 2004 – Annamarie Jagose, Slow Water. Victoria University Press 2003 – Stephanie Johnson, The Shag Incident. Vintage Books 2002 – Craig Marriner, Stonedogs. Vintage Books 2001 – Lloyd Jones, The Book of Fame. Penguin Group (NZ) 2000 – Owen Marshall, Harlequin Rex. Vintage 1999 – Elizabeth Knox, The Vintner's Luck. Victoria University Press 1998 – Maurice Gee, Live Bodies. Penguin Group (NZ) 1997 – Alan Duff, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?. Vintage 1996 – Sheridan Keith, Zoology: A Novel. Penguin Best first book award (fiction) Since 2018, this award has been known as the MitoQ Best First Book Awards: Hubert Church Prize for Fiction. Between 2015 and 2018, this award was known as the Hubert Church Best First Book Award for Fiction. From 1997 to 2014, this award was known as the NZSA Hubert Church Best First Book of Fiction Prize. In 1996, this award was known as the Best First Book Award, Fiction. Prior to 1996, this award had been presented since 1945 by PEN NZ, and was named for the poet, novelist and critic Hubert Church. 2022 – Rebecca K Reilly, Greta & Valdin. Te Herenga Waka University Press 2021 – Rachel Kerr, Victory Park. Mākaro Press 2020 – Becky Manawatu, Auē. Mākaro Press 2019 – Kirsten Warner, The Sound of Breaking Glass. Mākaro Press 2018 – Annaleese Jochems, Baby. Victoria University Press 2017 – Gina Cole, Black Ice Matter. Huia Publishers 2016 – David Coventry, The Invisible Mile. Victoria University Press 2015 – no award due to change of sponsors 2014 – Amy Head, Tough. Victoria University Press 2013 – Lawrence Patchett, I Got His Blood on Me. Victoria University Press 2012 – Hamish Clayton, Wulf. Penguin Group (NZ) 2011 – Pip Adam, Everything We Hoped for. Victoria University Press 2010 – Anna Taylor, Relief. Victoria University Press 2009 – Eleanor Catton, The Rehearsal. Victoria University Press 2008 – Mary McCallum, The Blue. Penguin Group (NZ) 2007 – Rachael King, The Sound of Butterflies. Black Swan 2006 – Gillian Ranstead, A Red Silk Sea. Penguin Group (NZ) 2005 – Julian Novitz, My Real Life and Other Stories. Vintage 2004 –