Helen Marshall won the C$3,000 (about US$2,155) Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic for her novel The Lady, the Tiger, and the Girl Who Loved Death.
The judges wrote: "This brilliant literary fantasy plunges the reader into a dark and brutal world of glamour and danger as we follow a young woman and her grandmother in their attempts to tame Death. Marshall contrasts the painted glamour of the carnivalesque with the harsh dystopia of a repressive regime. This is a layered, intricate, and thoughtful fantasy blended with grim reality to create a beautifully strange fable of revenge, loss, grief, and healing. Marshall draws on history and traditional tales, weaving them seamlessly into the novel and suffusing the narrative with a dream-like feel. The prose is gorgeous throughout, while also remaining grounded, centering the reader with a deep sense of place--whether it be the city, the circus, or a small apartment. Strands of history overlap and intertwine, allowing for an effective exploration of the cyclical nature of violence on a large scale, but also delving into generational trauma and complicated family histories. The characters and setting are rich and all of the elements come together in a truly satisfying read that doesn't pull its punches but manages to leave the reader with a sense of hope as well."