Books invade Quebec
Literature will be in the spotlight in Quebec City, from April 12 to 16, when the Salon international du livre de Québec and the Québec BD festival will take place simultaneously. The first event will be held at the Congress Center where more than 1,000 authors and some 350 publishers will gather. Visitors will notably be able to witness cross-discussions between writers on topical issues. For example, Marie Laberge and Chrystine Brouillet will discuss the place occupied by violence in their works. The Québec BD festival, meanwhile, will take place across the city. A master class with Jean-Louis Tripp, an original comic reading of the novel geolocate love by Simon Boulerice or a great quiz on the ninth art are among the many activities organized.
Veronique Larocque, The Press
An overseas award for Roxanne Bouchard
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Roxanne Bouchard
Eight years after its release in Quebec by VLB publisher, the novel We were the salt of the sea, by Roxanne Bouchard, is experiencing a second wind on the other side of the Atlantic. The first investigation by Inspector Joaquin Moralès has just won the Quais du thriller readers’ prize/Sunday newspaper, in France, where it was published last year. This award is given to the best French-speaking thriller of the year.
Veronique Larocque, The Press
New things to discover
Among all the new publications arriving in bookstores these days, here are a few that caught our attention.
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Louise Tremblay d’Essiambre has a brand new series for fans of historical novels. At the crossroads takes us to the heart of a bilingual family in Sherbrooke, as the repercussions of the Second World War begin to be felt in Quebec. (Saint-Jean Publisher, 368 pages)
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Valérie Chevalier, who signed the novels you can always run And You can always stayembarks here on a funny and touching learning novel with Compass. Aimed at ages 14 and up, it follows the quest of a teenage girl who makes a list of things to do in order to live without regrets. The author will be at the Salon du livre de Québec on April 14 and 15. (Hurtubise, 264 pages)
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Maureen Martineau, Patrick Senécal, Martin Michaud, Arjun Basu… 16 French-speaking and English-speaking authors from here have joined their pens to tell the dark side of Montreal in Black Montreal, a collection of black and urban short stories. An interesting project which is part of the series started with Brooklyn Black, 20 years ago, and which has since toured cities around the world. (Saint-Jean Publisher, 378 pages)
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Waiting for the movie slush heart hits theaters in the summer, a deluxe edition of bestseller by Sarah‐Maude Beauchesne will land on April 12 in bookstores. This improved edition includes, in addition to the entire novel, an introduction by the author, unpublished excerpts from the script as well as photos from the shooting of the film. (Hurtubise, 264 pages)
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Physical distancing, defense of French, student strike… In Reasonable groundss, the artist and illustrator Clément de Gaulejac took out his pen to return in caricatures to the most significant events of the last 10 years, with texts and photos to recall the context. The pencil line is as lively as his witticism – guaranteed smiles. (Eco-society, 248 pages)
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In Asymmetric, the author known by the nickname Bleuet atypical, Valérie Jessica Laporte, chose the path of fiction to transport us into the head of an autistic person, with the story of a “different” pre-adolescent girl. This is officially the sequel to his previous novel, Unrecognizable, but the two titles can be read independently. (Free Expression, 216 pages)
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This beautiful hardcover book is the fruit of 15 years of work and a unique collaboration between researcher and artist Andrée Martin and photographer Dominique Malaterre. ABC of the dancing body includes stunning black and white and color photography accompanied by a verbal exploration of artistic creation in various forms. (Editions of the passage, 264 pages)
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Laila Maalouf, The Press
The winner of the Québec-France prize at the Salon du livre de Québec
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Caroline Hinault
Frenchwoman Caroline Hinault won the 2023 Quebec-France Marie-Claire-Blais Literary Prize for her first novel. Solack (published by Editions du Rouergue). The prize will be awarded to him on April 14 at the Salon international du livre de Québec. This thriller tells a drama that occurs on a peninsula north of the Arctic Circle, where an idealistic scientist and two soldiers with a troubled past coexist. Caroline Hinault will be signing at the Salon in addition to participating in a meeting with authors Isabelle Lafortune and Romane Bladou.
The winners of the Espiègle prize revealed
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The two winning books of the Espiègle 2023 prize: world’s smallest savior And Between the rabbit and the fox
The seventh award ceremony for the Prix Espiègle, the prize for Quebec school libraries, took place last week. The collaborator of The Press Samuel Larochelle and illustrator Eve Patenaude are the winners in the elementary school library category. Their book world’s smallest savior, which talks about eco-anxiety, won over the jury. On the side of secondary schools, it is Between the rabbit and the foxa book on toxic romantic relationships written and illustrated by Nathalie Lagacé, who won an award.
Veronique Larocque, The Press
A podcast with Blaise Ndala
PHOTO ANDRÉ PICHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Blaise Ndala
Congolese-born writer Blaise Ndala, who penned the novels I’ll go dance on Senghor’s grave (published by L’Interligne) and In the belly of the Congo (at Mémoire d’encrier), talks with author Ian Thomas Shaw in a podcast that focuses on his influences and his writing, in addition to looking back on his journey, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Ottawa, where he also works as a lawyer. To listen on the site of the editions L’Interligne.
Laila Maalouf, The Press
Tales and legends for young readers
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The first two titles of the “Losing the North” collection
The publishing house Planète rebelle offers a brand new children’s collection of illustrated novels: “Losing the North”. Intended for children aged 7 to 12, it brings together contemporary tales that transport young readers to real or invented territories. Two titles have just been launched. Oh the crossing, by Nadine Walsh and Julie Rocheleau, recounts the journey to Canada of a young Irishwoman who discovers astonishing stowaways on the ship on which she is traveling. For its part, the novel Sam’s Adventuresby Philippe Garon and Enzo, talks about strange creatures that live in Gaspésie.
Veronique Larocque, The Press