British Columbia-based author Jennifer Craig has won this year’s Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.
It was announced that Craig won the $15,000 grand prize for her book Gone to Pot, published by Second Story Press, at a gala in Orillia, Ont.
The novel tells the story of a B.C. grandmother who, after losing her job, takes to growing marijuana in her basement.
Craig’s previous work includes a memoir about her time working as a nurse in the U.K. before immigrating to Canada in the 1960s.
Named after famed Canadian humorist Stephen Leacock, the prize is awarded annually for the best book in Canadian literary humour.
The runners-up are Canadian-born former broadcaster Laurie Gelman, who now lives in New York City, for her debut novel Class Mom (Henry Holt & Co) and Toronto-based culture writer Scaachi Koul for her first book One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter (Doubleday Canada). Each will receive a cash prize of $1,500.