New season of Croisée des mots about to start

An exciting new season of local discovery and conversational book talks awaits booklovers who like to do some or all of their reading in French. La Croisée des mots is the perfect opportunity to uncover wonderful recent works of Franco-Ontarian literature and to perhaps expand your French-language reading list to homegrown authors whose stories and imaginations have been shaped by life in Ontario.

Starting in September, you will once again be able to discover a series of accomplished writers and take part into interesting discussions hosted by Hugues Beaudoin-Dumouchel! After last year’s success, the Library is thrilled to have the chance to partner with the Association des auteures et auteurs de l’Ontario français once again to launch a new edition of Croisée des mots with an even greater diversity of styles, talents, and authors.

From September 2020 to May 2021, fascinating and generous authors will read from their latest works and answer your questions about their work, their art, their profession… Whether you are in your kitchen, your back yard or out of town, you will be able to interact with these authors live over Zoom or through comments on Facebook. So be the first to meet us online on September 16 at 6 pm for a fruitful meeting with the first guest author: Paul Ruban, recipient of the 2020 Trillium Award for his most recent collection of short stories, Crevaison en Corbillard.

Do not miss the chance to meet and discover these authors this fall!

• Paul Ruban: Born in Winnipeg, Paul Ruban spent a good part of his childhood in Ottawa and visited several continents before settling permanently in Toronto. In addition to his passion for literature and writing, he is now a director and collaborates with various television production companies in the Toronto area. Don't miss the opportunity to discover the works of this author whose writing reflects the many places he has visited. 
   
• Sylvie Bérard: She holds a PHD in semiology from UQAM on science fiction written by women. Sylvie Bérard is dedicated to research on Aboriginal literature, queer and science fiction. Her collection Oubliez won the Trillium Poetry Award in 2017.
   
• Jean Boisjoli: Very involved in his community and in literary circles, he has been vice-president of the Association des autreur.e.s de l'Outaouais and then of the Association des auteurs.e.s de l'Ontario français. He has also served on the UNEQ's Regional Committee.  In addition to his literary involvement, Jean Boisjoli has published several novels and collections of poetry, including La mesure du temps, which won the Trillium Book Award in 2017.
   
• Monia Mazigh: Born in Tunisia, Monia Mazigh immigrated to Canada in 1991 and lives in Ottawa. In 2008, she published Les larmes emprisonnées, published by Boréal, which recounts her struggle to free her husband, Maher Arar, who was deported to Syria. Since then, she has been a human rights activist within several organizations. Farida, her third novel, is a tribute to an entire generation of Tunisian women that forces us to revisit our old clichés about the ignorance, oppression and submission of Arab-Muslim women.

As part of its mission to promote literature, the Library works to support and champion Francophone culture to Ottawa audiences and offer a platform that makes discovering, reading, and meeting Franco-Ontarian authors easy and inspiring.

The AAOF brings together over a hundred authors active in the province and beyond, as well as supports projects, collaborations and service offers designed to develop and promote talent and literary practices in French-speaking Ontario. As a special showcase for authors’ talents, this series of virtual literary events is guaranteed to enhance the visibility of AAOF members and offer a wonderful opportunity to engage directly with their readers.The AAOF would also like to thank its funders: the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts and Canadian Heritage.

In addition to attending the meetings, OPL has in his collection, the various books written by each author of Croisée des mots! Welcome to an yet promising, interesting and fruitful season of Croisée des mots! Register now to this fall sessions! We look forward to seeing you there!