Author Marie-Hélène Larochelle won the first Janette-Bertrand Literary Prize on Wednesday for her novel Toronto never blue.
The prize in question was created by the Montreal Book Fair, in collaboration with Télé-Québec and the Société de Développement des Entreprises Culturelles, to “honor the work and legacy of Janette Bertrand.” It comes with a $5,000 grant and rewards Quebec or Franco-Canadian literary works that address the themes of gender equality, women’s autonomy and the fight against gender-based violence.
The novel Toronto never bluepublished by Leméac, deals with the harsh reality of itinerant women and prostitutes who live in a city indifferent to their difficulties. This is M’s third novel.me Larochelle, who is a professor of literature at York University in Toronto.
“To denounce injustices against women is to open up solutions that will ultimately change the world. Thank you, Marie-Hélène Larochelle, for writing, short sentences, moving intrigues and the taste for turning the pages! » writes Janette Bertrand in a press release.
Former Quebec Premier Pauline Marois chaired the jury. In a press release, she congratulates the author and underlines the quality of her novel, “a real cry to be heard by everyone, in a writing which has the strength to never judge, while the country is bogged down in a unprecedented housing crisis.
The four other finalist works were File a complaint by Léa Clermont-Dion (The August Horse), It could have been a movie by Martine Delvaux (Heliotrope), The unsightly by Claudia Larochelle (Quebec America) and Self-portrait of another by Élise Turcotte (Viola).
The jury was made up of editor and librarian Vanessa Allnutt, literature student Jeanne Boivin, host and columnist Vanessa Destiné and bookseller Philippe Fortin.
To watch on video
Canada
Related News :