In Stella Prize first, a graphic novel draws the win
It was the first time the $60,000 Stella Prize was awarded to a comic book; Lee Lai received the award for his book Cannon.
“This feels like a pretty big deal,” said Lai, who has lived in Montreal for the past decade and returned to Australia to accept the award.
“The Australian publishing landscape has historically not been that supportive of comics; it’s very difficult to publish a comic in Australia,” he said.
Lai also became the first trans writer to win the award, which is open to women and non-binary writers, in its 14-year history.
She says her feelings about winning the Stella Prize are complicated because other trans creators struggle with family support, housing stability, and access to gender-affirming healthcare.
“There are so many amazing creators of transgender people who aren’t getting published; I think there are a lot of barriers,” she said.
Set in Montreal, the book tells the story of repressed protagonist Lucy, who works at a crowded restaurant, based on where Lai worked when she first moved to the city.
Lucy, also known as Cannon, also cares for her elderly grandfather and is underestimated by her best friend.
When the pressure is too much, the main character is sometimes surrounded by mysterious black birds.
“This is my attempt to paint a portrait of anger; anger has been a very interesting experience for me, something I have avoided a lot in my life,” Lai said.
Stella chief Fiona Sweet said Cannon was a truly outstanding achievement in the comics genre and the triumph would introduce the book to new readers across the country.
Chair of judges Sophie Gee said the story was relatable, funny, wise and very strange.
“This is a novel of tremendous skill and power, using words and the visual language of comics to create a complex and delightfully unresolved story that readers can’t put down,” he said.
Lai has already won several international awards for her work and was shortlisted at Stella in 2021 for her debut novel, Stone Fruit.
She will be attending events presented by Stella in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in May.
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