Claire Nicholls

So time to get to work.

Hi, I'm Clare Nicholls with a special episode of The Book Show where congratulations are in order for Leigh Lye, who has made history by winning this year's Stella Prize.

The Stella is an Australian prize for women and non-binary writers, and Lee has won for her book Canon.

It's the first ever graphic novel to win the $60,000 prize.

Lee, congratulations.

How do you feel?

And I've heard you say before that you don't always love your work.

In fact, you don't even always like your work.

You've actually made a comic about this feeling.

You've done your research.

What was your feeling about Canon when you made it?

I've heard you say that Canon is a book about a second coming of age.

What do you mean by a second coming of age?

I'm guessing for a character like Cannon and maybe also someone like you, Lee, this idea of a second coming of age is complicated by the fact of being queer, right?

Because the first coming of age was so much probably wrapped up in identity.

I think so many people will identify with Cannon.

She's a line cook in Montreal.

She is having this kind of second coming of age.

Her nickname is Cannon, which suggests she's a loose cannon.

She's wild, but she's anything but.