Smith's first novel "White Teeth" was introduced to the publishing world in 1997, before it was completed. Publishers saw part of the manuscript and an auction for the rights started. Hamish Hamilton won. Smith completed "White Teeth" during her final year at Cambridge. It was published in 2000. The novel immediately became a best-seller. It was praised internationally and won awards, including: the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the Betty Trask Award. The novel was adapted for television in 2002. Smith was writer-in-residence at the ICA in London and later published, as editor, an anthology of sex writing, "Piece of Flesh", as the main work of this job.