Michèle Laframboise winner of the AAOF Prize

Ottawa-Gatineau — The prize was awarded to the Franco-Ontarian author for her novel Desert Rosespecified the organization, which presented him with his prize as part of the Afro-Canadian Book Fair which was held in Ottawa on Friday, October 25.

This science fiction novel intended – like many other stories and comics by Michèle Laframboise – for adolescents features Rose, a young woman who, like the other inhabitants of her planet Sérail, tries as best she can to survive.

“The author masterfully succeeds in presenting the voice of Rose, an authentic character, both strong and vulnerable”, evolving in this “precarious environment”, estimated the jury, hailing “a captivating story” and “overflowing with imagination”, signed by a “skilful pen”.

Faced with numerous challenges, the “fiery” Rose will discover her own strengths and resources, but also “those of her community, where each individual is called upon to play a role”, underlined the members of the jury, Tina Charlebois, Micheline Marchand and Marie-Thé Morin, in a press release.

“Major contribution” to Ontario literature

The president of the AAOF, Marie-Josée Martin, offered her “warm congratulations” to Michèle Laframboise, “an author with a big heart and abundant imagination.”

“This award once again confirms his major contribution to children’s literature in Ontario,” added Ms. Martin.

“In words or images, Michèle’s stories take her readers into worlds imbued with poetry to meet unforgettable characters,” says the AAOF.

A scientist by training (she has degrees in geography and engineering), Michèle Laframboise has experimented with various literary styles, but has a pronounced taste for science fiction stories, a genre to which she returns regularly, creating complex plots. .

Throughout her work, she has created elaborate worlds – including the universe of “Gardeners”, in which she depicted planetary ecosystems as rich and varied as the human societies that populate them.

La Franco-Ontarienne has published nineteen novels and more than seventy short stories, as well as Mistress of the Winds the comic strip – which she also illustrated.

We owe him in particular the anticipation novels The Ithuriel project et Paloma’s Secrets (David editions), located in the same universe as Desert Rose; the two stories also share several characters.

Branches to climb

This price “was a little unexpected, and I am very happy,” reacted Michèle Laframboise, met on October 19 at the Salon Steampunk in the capital, where she came to sign some of her most recent publications.

Such a spotlight “allows us to be a little more visible, to pique the curiosity of the media and to get a little out of the hole in which we [les auteurs] tends to lock himself away, alone in his basement”, concentrated on putting together a story.

“I am particularly proud of this story… and very grateful [envers] Éditions David, who managed to make it even more accessible,” she adds.

Before it is taken over by an editor, a novel is “a bit like a trunk, a tree with missing branches, and it’s difficult to climb to the top of your story; the role of a publishing house is to make the branches grow so that the reader can more easily reach the foliage and taste the fruits, illustrates Michèle Laframboise – who has often self-published.

“Capricious brain”

The story is an opportunity for its author to explore the themes of neurodivergence and sexual diversity.

Her protagonist in fact lives with ADHD: being poor at math and science due to her lack of attention, “Rose perceives herself as useless and incapable,” explains Michèle Laframboise. His character “constantly plagues his ‘capricious’ brain” while, often, 1001 ideas “explode” in his mind in a chaotic or cacophonous manner.

The teenager is also asexual, indicates the author. Rose will discover that she feels no sexual desire towards anyone. But the young woman will discover that she is also “a-romantic”, a condition that few people around her can understand. Only two characters, Warbler and the Eaglet, “will end up accepting Rose as she is,” she suggests.

«Desert rose, which talks about neurodiversity, can do good, and it is important for me to know that everyone to whom this book can do good will have a better chance of knowing about its existence,” she continues.

“Rose is a person [dont le] brain works differently. […] The challenge, for me, was to write this story from the point of view of this person, who has a limited vocabulary, who has cognitive challenges, gaps which can sometimes cause problems for his small community. .. and still succeed in moving this adventure story forward” as the character “learns to draw other resources from within herself,” suggests Michèle Laframboise.

In our reality, “Rose would be considered someone on the autism spectrum,” but in this distant future and planet that the author depicts, “the vocabulary has evolved, the word [autisme] does not exist, but readers endowed – like Rose – with a “capricious brain” could well find some comfort in this positive representation of neurodiversity, suggests Michèle Laframboise. They could even understand intimately, and better than others, how the adolescent’s “cognitive challenges make her want to ‘knock’ on her mathematics homework,” she adds, all smiles.

At the same time, Michèle Laframboise indicates that the public in the region will be able to meet her at the next Rendez-vous de la BD de Gatineau (the dates of which have not yet been announced, but which is usually held at the beginning of the month of December), where she will present The general’s gardenwhich follows Mistress of the winds, two science fiction stories set in the universe of The Gardeners.

Biennial Award

The AAOF Youth Prize has been awarded every two years since October 2018, alternating with the AAOF Emerging Prize for Literature.

Funded by the Françoise-et-Yvan-Lepage Fund (AAOF) of the Fondation franco-ontarienne, it is endowed with a grant of $2,000 – to which is added $1,000, specifically intended for the promotion of the winning work .

“This Prize, which was originally aimed at emerging youth authors, received a makeover in 2020 to allow all youth authors to now be eligible,” recalls the organization.