In 1982, despite the publishers’ refusal to publish a color guide to mammals – considered too expensive – Michel Quintin decided to found his own publishing house. Éditions Michel Quintin thus celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year, going through the evolution of the Quebec literary milieu and, in particular, that of children’s literature. This is therefore a good opportunity to take a break from a few precious moments and to call on the voices of players in the field to identify, albeit very summarily, the contours of the scene that animates us today.
Precariousness above all
Creating a publishing house is no small feat, and you have to combine will, resilience and passion to embark on — and persevere — in the adventure. Michel Quintin, a veterinarian by profession, hosted his publishing house in his veterinary clinic for nearly 18 years, alternating, in the same day, animal operations and literary surgical cuts.
For Robert Soulières, who says he founded his house on August 16, 1996, a Friday, at 10.38 a.m., the start of the adventure was a leap into the void: “On Monday, I said to myself that I would launch a house named Skyscraper, on Tuesday, I wanted to create a collection at Leméac, on Wednesday, I asked my friend Alain Stanké to create a youth section…” He attributes his ultimate change of tune to the song I Gotta Get Outta Hereby Alice Cooper, who started playing in her car on Friday.
Robert Soulières launches: “The sinews of war is still money. Fortunately, a few nudges can restore momentum. Yves Nadon, co-founder with France Leduc of Éditions D’eux, remembers having learned that the house had won the Publisher of the Year award for North America, awarded by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, while he was in small claims in Coaticook to contest a ticket: “The house had been in existence for two years. We didn’t expect that. France got up, she told the judge that we finally admitted our guilt and we left to celebrate! »
Earlier this year, Valérie Picard’s independent publishing house Monsieur Ed received the same honor in Bologna. This does not prevent him from dipping into his savings: “The house lives on its own, but I don’t pay myself any salary. Like all other publishing houses, its future depends on its access to subsidies, applications that are “extremely demanding to fulfill”.
Contrary to the received idea that precariousness is the mother of creativity, Valérie Picard believes that this financial assistance would allow her greater creative freedom: “Of course, if one day I am subsidized, I will to be able, once in a while, to dare a more daring publication, which really makes me trip, but for which I do not know if there is a market here. »
Giant steps
However, the children’s literature market has made giant strides since the 1980s. Searching his memory, Robert Soulières recalls “that in 1972, there were something like five children’s books published. In 1980, there were about thirty of them”. According to’State of play books and libraries, published in 2004 by the Quebec Institute of Statistics, children’s publications increased by 22% between 1986 and 1994. It hasn’t slowed down since. In 2016, one in three books sold in Quebec was a children’s title. And in 2021, there were around 1,500 titles published!
There is no doubting the craze, but does quality follow quantity? Yves Nadon is enthusiastic: “For good news in human history, you have to turn to children’s literature. I think children are lucky. This is the golden age of children’s literature. »
I remain pleasantly surprised to see the editorial lines open up, the visuals of the books loosen up a little… I think there would still be room to take to be more daring, but I understand that we must also respect the rhythm openness to public expectations.
For Sophane Beaudin-Quintin, commercial director at Éditions Michel Quintin, the difference is particularly marked on the side of the illustrations. He even admits, not without irony, that the house has long been highlighting the same themes as today: “We looked for a way to update certain collections, to see how we could approach the subjects differently, but in the end, we realize that the threat that awaits animal species, the climatic issues, the role of humans in all this… these are subjects that have not changed. »
Valérie Picard, whose house is only seven years old, recognizes that the environment has changed since her arrival. But we haven’t seen everything yet: “I remain pleasantly surprised to see the editorial lines open up, the visuals of the books loosen up a bit… I think there would still be room to be taken to be more daring, but I understand that it is also necessary to respect the rhythm of opening of the expectations of the public. We advance one step at a time. »
A more inclusive future
Predicting a fertile future, the four speakers share the same concerns. Sophane Beaudin-Quintin emphasizes the care that the house takes to promote local talent, but it is important for her to call on people of diversity: “We can keep this pride in local talent while including in the project people of cultural diversity, who can bring a new perspective, with their unique background. »
Some new subjects will make their way into books, but in literature, everything rests in the way of doing things, which Robert Soulières confirms: “We now approach everything in children’s literature. In terms of sexuality, body diversity, gender diversity, eating disorders, bullying… You might think that all the themes have been exploited, so what really matters is the how we talk about it. »
It is on this aspect that the warnings come. Valérie Picard emphasizes the sometimes didactic and moralizing nature of children’s books: “There is still a bit of this tendency to make books that want to teach things. I say to myself: can we have fun? You can always learn from books, but you have to do it with a certain freedom. »
Same story with Yves Nadon: “It seems to me that we live in a puritan era where there is a little space for nuance. It annoys me when you put ideas in children’s heads. One should work in the open and not in a funnel of thought. »
What does this golden age of children’s literature have in store for us? The words line up, enthusiastic, ready to join the future, and the colorful illustrations take shape on the horizon. It is up to us to celebrate them, to nourish them with our aspirations and to make them beat at the heart of history.