<p>The recipient of the Journey Prize and Edna Staebler Award Heather Birrell made a splash in the literary world with her first collection <i>I Know You Are But What Am I?</i> In <i>Mad Hope</i> Birrell employs her keen insight into the human condition to present tales featuring a complex array of characters including a gay man caring for a friend and a science teacher faced with a shocking request.</p>