Teva Harrison, author of In-Between Days, has won the 2017 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize in non-fiction! The Kobo Emerging Writer Prize help “supports Canadian debut authors by helping kick-start their careers,” and includes $10,000 for winning the prize. Congratulations, Teva!

I am officially emerging! And not just from behind this sign. I can't thank @kobobooks enough for the honour of taking home the non-fiction prize last night!

A post shared by Teva Harrison (@robotpilot) on Jun 28, 2017 at 6:31am PDT

In-Between Days is an absolutely mesmerizing read. Without ever becoming sentimental or self-pitying, Teva Harrison explores an unbearable situation with honesty, courage, humour, and heart-breaking poignancy. Her account of dealing with a terrifying cancer diagnosis ultimately becomes an uplifting celebration of living. — Ross King, author and judge for the non-fiction category

Teva Harrison was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 37. In this brilliant and inspiring graphic memoir, she documents through comic illustration and short personal essays what it means to live with the disease. She confronts with heartbreaking honesty the crises of identity that cancer brings: a lifelong vegetarian, Teva agrees to use experimental drugs that have been tested on animals. She struggles to reconcile her long-term goals with an uncertain future, balancing the innate sadness of cancer with everyday acts of hope and wonder. She also examines those quiet moments of helplessness and loving with her husband, her family, and her friends, while they all adjust to the new normal.

Ultimately, In-Between Days is redemptive and uplifting, reminding each one of us of how beautiful life is, and what a gift.