Cannon by Lee Lai shortlisted for the Stella Prize 2026

Cannon by Lee Lai has been shortlisted for the 2026 Stella Prize. It is the second time a graphic novel has been shortlisted for the prize; the first was for Lai’s debut work, Stone Fruit, in 2022. This year’s announcement was made in Sydney on 8 April, a few weeks after the Canadian-based author wrapped up her east coast tour of Australia.

Named a ‘best new book’ by ABC Arts, The Guardian, the New York Times, NPR and the Sydney Morning Herald, Cannon has also in Australia been shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. Overseas, the book was or is currently a finalist for the Quebec Writers’ Federation Literary Awards, the GLAAD Media Awards, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. This last prize is a North American equivalent to the Stella, in that it celebrates ‘creativity and excellence in fiction by women and non-binary writers in Canada and the United States.’

See the Stella judges’ report for Cannon below.

Reliable and dutiful Cannon (real name: Lucy; nickname Luce; ironically – or perhaps not – Luce Cannon) has myriad responsibilities. During the day, she helps her avoidant mother by taking care of her elderly gung-gung (maternal grandfather). At night, she works in the pressure-cooker kitchen of a fine dining restaurant. In her off-hours, she’s a confidante and troubleshooter for best friend Trish. However, Cannon is about to crack – something we see in a dizzying flashforward in the first pages. Cannon is a compelling depiction of a fracturing friendship between two queer, second-generation Chinese women. It is also a bruising examination of the lifelong weight that people – often women – carry, the profound toll it takes to be the “responsible one”, and what can happen when you are being taken advantage of repeatedly. (Bonus: it is also, somehow, very funny.) Lai’s elegant artistry evokes horror and poignancy, shock and delight, and Cannon is an incontestable reminder that – in the hands of a masterful artist and storyteller – the very best graphic novels can do what prose alone cannot. And Cannon is absolutely one of the best.