François Blais (writer)

François Blais (born (1973-01-03)January 3, 1973) is a Canadian writer from Quebec who received the 2020 Governor General's Award for French-language children's literature for his novel Lac Adélard.

François Blais
Born (1973-01-03) January 3, 1973
Grand-Mère, Quebec, Canada
OccupationWriter
Notable work
Lac Adélard
AwardsGovernor General’s Literary Award

Biography

François Blais was born in 1973 in the small town of Grand-Mère in the Mauricie region of Quebec He grew up in a house with a library filled with titles like Tintin, Bob Morane, and books from the Countess of Ségur.[1]

Blais published his first novel, Iphigénie en Haute-Ville at the age of 32 in 2006, which quickly became a finalist for several literary prizes, namely the Prix des libraires du Québec, the Prix France-Québec and the Prix Senghor de la création littéraire. Although he had until then worked primarily as a translator, Blais now publishes a book almost every year, and beginning in 2016, has alternated between adult and children's books all while being employed as a maintenance worker for a shopping centre in Trois-Rivières.[2]

Blais is also particularly stingy with biographical details in the rare interviews he does grant.[3] His work was first translated in 2018, when his novel Document 1 appeared in English under the same title.[4] Blais lived in Quebec City, and in 2016, moved on a farm in the village of Charette in the county of Maskinongé in Quebec where he lives with his sister.[5][2]

Works

Blais' novels contain autobiographical elements, which are often rooted in his hometown of Grand-Mère in Quebec. Since his works are initially characterized by quirky and scathing humour, he never resorts to autofiction.[3]

His sixth novel, La classe de Madame Valérie, which traces the life of a group of 11-year-old classmates at Laflèche school in Grand-Mère, Quebec, was published in 2013, and received praise from many,[6] and in particular from veteran Quebec journalist Pierre Foglia.[7]

Un livre sur Mélanie Cabay, inspired by the 1994 disappearance and death of a young woman was published in 2018.[8][9][10] In 2020, his novel Lac Adélard, won the Governor General's Award for French-language children's literature at the 2020 Governor General's Awards.[1]

Novels and short stories
  • 2006 – Iphigénie en Haute-Ville (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895022824
  • 2007 – Nous autres ça compte pas (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895022473
  • 2008 – Le Vengeur masqué contre les hommes-perchaude de la lune (L’instant même) ISBN 9782896471416
  • 2009 – Vie d’Anne-Sophie Bonenfant (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895022862
  • 2011 – La nuit des morts-vivants (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895023074
  • 2012 – Document 1 (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895023197
  • 2013 – La classe de madame Valérie (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895023357
  • 2014 – Sam (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895023456
  • 2015 – Cataonie (short stories) (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895023609
  • 2017 – Les Rivières, suivi de Les Montagnes : Deux histoires de fantômes (short stories) (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895023906
  • 2018 – Un livre sur Mélanie Cabay (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895024064
  • 2021 – La seule chose qui intéresse tout le monde (L'instant même) ISBN 9782895024521

Children's books
  • 2016 – 752 lapins (400 coups) ISBN 9782895406853
  • 2017 – Le livre où la poule meurt à la fin (400 coups) ISBN 9782895406976
  • 2019 – Lac Adélard, illustrated by Iris Boudreau (La courte échelle) ISBN 9782897742249
  • 2020 – L’Horoscope (400 coups) ISBN 9782895408659

Collaborations
  • 2015 – "Nous avons un problème", collection of short stories Il n’y a que les fous (L’instant même) ISBN 9782895028833, 2895028834

Awards and honours

References
  1. Nault, Sarah-Émilie (July 25, 2021). "Croire aux fantômes". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  2. Dominic Tardif: "François Blais n'est pas désagréable", LQ, n. 176, Hiver 2019, pp. 10-13
  3. "Le mystère François Blais". La Fabrique culturelle (in French). Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  4. Hebblethwaite, David (June 7, 2018). "Document 1 – François Blais". David's Book World. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  5. "François Blais". Éditions les 400 coups (in French). Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  6. Lapointe, Josée (April 15, 2013). "François Blais : de Han Solo à écrivain". La Presse (in French). Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  7. Laurin, Danielle (March 15, 2014). "Ringuet à l'ombre de François Blais". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  8. Laperrière, Simon (April 24, 2018). ""Un livre sur Mélanie Cabay" de François Blais chez L'instant même". Bible urbaine (in French). Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  9. Hamelin, Marilyse (March 21, 2018). "Des dizaines de femmes tuées, les meurtriers jamais inquiétés". Châtelaine (in French). Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  10. Larochelle, Claudia (May 11, 2018). "En librairie : Mkdeville et Girard, Blais et Desrosiers". L'actualité (in French). Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  11. VOIR, L'équipe web du (April 4, 2013). "Les créations littéraires de François Blais et Martine Latulippe récompensées". voir.ca (in French). Retrieved September 10, 2021.
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