Melbourne-born cartoonist Lee Lai wins 2026 Stella Prize

Australian writer and illustrator Lee Lai has made history by becoming both the first non-binary author and the first graphic novelist to win the prestigious Stella Prize.

Lai received the 2026 award for Cannon, a graphic novel praised by judges as “absolutely one of the best graphic novels” and recognised for its emotionally complex exploration of responsibility, repression and queer identity.

The $60,000 literary prize, awarded annually to women and non-binary writers, was presented in Brisbane on Wednesday evening.

Born in Melbourne and now based in Montreal, Lai first came to international attention with their debut graphic novel Stone Fruit, which won multiple international honours including the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ comics.

Cannon follows Lucy — nicknamed “Cannon” — a queer Chinese woman living in Montreal who finds herself emotionally and practically responsible for everyone around her. By day, she cares for her ageing grandfather; by night, she works in a fine-dining restaurant while quietly absorbing the pressures and demands placed upon her by family and friends.

Rendered largely in monochrome with striking flashes of colour, the work combines psychological depth with moments of humour and visual experimentation.

The Stella judges described the book as:

“A bruising examination of the lifelong weight that people – often women – carry, the profound toll it takes to be the ‘responsible one’.”

They also praised Lai’s “elegant artistry” for evoking “horror and poignancy, shock and delight”.

Speaking following the win, Lai said they hoped the award would also represent recognition for the wider comics community.

“I hope that this is a win for the comics community as well, and that it makes some readers more interested in reading comics.”

Lai began working on Cannon in 2019, developing the book over several years while balancing illustration and comics work alongside other freelance jobs.

The win marks a significant milestone for graphic storytelling within Australian literature, with the Stella Prize recognising a graphic novel for the first time in its history.