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Lee Lai Wins 2026 Stella Prize for Graphic Novel Cannon
Lee Lai received the $60,000 Stella Prize on Wednesday as the first non-binary winner and the first graphic novelist to take the Australian literary award for women and non-binary writers. The book follows a young queer Chinese woman in Montreal caring for her ailing grandfather while working in a restaurant kitchen and supporting her best friend.
May 13, 6:00 AM·1m read1 source
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Lee Lai has become the first non-binary person and the first graphic novelist to win the Stella Prize with the book Cannon. The win was announced on Wednesday. The $60,000 award is given each year to a book by an Australian woman or non-binary writer.
Lai's work is a graphic novel that examines a young woman's repression and rage as she manages the needs of family and friends. Cannon centers on a queer Chinese woman living in Montreal on the uncool side of her twenties. Her real name is Lucy, which evolved into Luce and then the nickname Cannon.
The character shoulders responsibility without complaint. During the day she cares for her gung-gung, her maternal grandfather, a former tyrant now weakened by age. She receives no help from her emotionally avoidant mother.
At night she works in the kitchen of a fine-dining restaurant, bringing order to chaos. Her longtime best friend Trish treats her as a constant sounding board for personal problems. Trish is also secretly using Cannon's life experiences as material for her own writing career.
The book was previously reviewed as a meditative graphic novel that blends horror and humour. The Stella Prize win brings the work new visibility and establishes two category firsts for the award since its founding. The prize continues to recognize writing by women and non-binary authors.
This year's selection expands the types of literary forms it has honored.
