The most recent nominations for the coveted France-Quebec Literary Prize have provoked the ire of several authors and several publishers in Quebec. Not only have the three novels selected by the committee received very little exposure in Quebec, but two of them are set in the era of New France. A “folk” choice that in no way reflects today’s Quebec literature, we are indignant.
“Two of the nominated novels have canoes on their covers. You can not make that up. I still read a lot of books every year, but I’ve never heard of these three books. They may be very good novels, but it is clear that there are great forgotten ones, ”laments Stéphane Despatie, literary director of Éditions Mains libre.
The Prix France-Québec is not the most prestigious, but it still allows the winners to enjoy an unexpected showcase in France. Since its creation in 1998, the award has been given to various successful authors, including Guillaume Vigneault, Jean Barbe, Biz and Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette. Last year, the award went to Tristan Malavoy for Jupiter’s eyewhich had previously benefited from a certain media notoriety.
Nothing like this this year. The three novels in the running are called The day my best friend was arrested for murdering his wifeby Louis-Francois Dallaire, 1542. The Cursed Colonyby Raymond Rainville, and The astonishing destiny of Pierre Boucherby former journalist Nicole Lavigne.
Even the latter’s publishing house, Québec Amérique, said it was somewhat surprised by these nominations. “It is true that the three 2022 finalists had less visibility when they left” than the previous winners, we acknowledged by email. Quebec America, however, defends the literary quality of Nicole Lavigne’s work, praising her in-depth research on the life of explorer Pierre Boucher, a key figure in New France.
My cabin in Canada
This is not the first time that the nominations made by the Fédération France-Québec, which awards this prize each year, have raised certain questions in the Quebec literary community. Former member of the jury, Marie Noëlle Blais remembers that several of her French colleagues had difficulty in being interested in anything other than the clichés dating from the period of colonization.
“Already at the time, I couldn’t believe that people could think that this was Quebec literature. Today, seeing the nominations, I feel like I’m stepping back. This is all the more surprising since these are books that we have never heard of. I find it sad, because it does not do justice to what is being done on this side of the Atlantic, ”says the one who is now literary director at Éditions du Quartz.
Yan Rioux, one of the members of the selection committee, refused to comment when asked if he thought that the three finalist books were a reflection of Quebec literature. In interview at To have tothe director of the Librairie du Québec, in Paris, indicated that about twenty books were part of the preselection.
Divided into different regional associations across France, the France-Quebec Federation will determine next November which of the three finalist books is the winner of the grand prize supposed to reward “the excellence of contemporary Quebec novels”. It was not possible to contact the Federation on Friday. The Quebec Ministry of International Relations, which partially funds the grant awarded to the award-winning writer, said that he took note of the criticism and promised to share it with the Federation.
For the former national delegate of the France-Quebec Literary Prize Jo Ann Champagne, there is no doubt that the distinction has lost its luster. “I submitted my resignation in January 2021. I did not want to endorse the unprofessionalism of the new governance. The members of the professional jury that I had managed to constitute on both sides of the Atlantic also resigned at the same time as me, ”she said in writing.