Following in the footsteps of her father Jacques Fortin, who founded Éditions Québec Amérique in 1974, the editor Catherine Fortin became owner of Québec Amérique, as well as a majority of the shares of Éditions Cardinal, and co-owner, with Éditions du Boréal. , from distributor Dimedia.
The news was announced in a press release on Wednesday. A few weeks ago, Caroline Fortin represented Canada at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where she chaired the organizing committee of Canada FBM2020.
“I was five years old when my father founded Quebec America,” she said in an interview. It has always been part of our family. My mother, my brother, everyone worked there ”.
When she left CEGEP, Caroline Fortin naturally took the path of the family business, first as a graphic designer, then in promotion and marketing, and as artistic director. ” I got involved in the youth division and in the international division, ”she says.
Some works from Quebec America, such as Visual dictionary by Jean-Claude Corbeil, for example, have an international influence. ” The Dictionary is published around the world in partnership with several publishers, ”she notes.
Now 82 years old, Jacques Fortin is still working for Québec Amérique. “He always reads manuscripts,” says his daughter. But it went without saying for her to take up the torch.
And Caroline Fortin hopes to continue to carry it very high, even in this period of change for the book market and the publishing world. In a world where the ephemeral becomes the norm, she wishes “to be able to continue publishing works that have long-term relevance, both on the side of fiction and non-fiction”.
She cites as an example the recent essay by India Desjardins, Mister Big or the glorification of toxic loves, or that of Liz Plank, For the love of men. Dialogue for positive masculinity.
Soon reopening
Noting the very large number of Quebec books invading the market, Caroline Fortin says she wants to focus on the publication of “pearls”.
She also notes that, contrary to expectations, the digital book has not taken off in Quebec, where it rarely reaches more than 3 or 4% of sales.
Last September, Stéphanie Durand was appointed editorial director of the youth division of Québec Amérique, and Nathalie Ranger director of marketing.
Among her short-term projects, Caroline Fortin aims in particular to reopen the café Chez Editor, on Saint-Hubert Street in Montreal, where Quebec America moved its quarters four years ago.
“We made a literary café that we ran for three years,” she says. Temporarily closed in the wake of the pandemic, Chez publisher should reopen its doors soon, she adds.