November 27, 2009
(Canada)- Where else, within the space of a few days, could you find the opportunity to chat with a retired politician (Jacques Parizeau), a mystery writer (Kathy Reichs, Chrystine Brouillet), a celeb-chasing non-fiction writer (Ian Halperin), a former New York prostitute (Natalie McLennan), the manager - and husband - of Céline Dion (René Angélil), Quebec's biggest singing star, Quebec's most renowned playwright/novelist, Michel Tremblay, IMPAC award-winning novelist Rawi Hage, Booker-winning novelist Yann Martel, or a giant mouse named Geronimo Stilton?XXX
XXXThe 32nd edition of the Salon du Livre (Book Fair), the largest book market for French-language books on the continent, was held this week in Montreal. While the Salon makes for heavenly author access for literary types who like to get their books autographed, it's also a great outing for families with young children. Everyone got plenty of exercise. The space was huge. This year there were 950 booths where francophone publishers were selling their wares, testing the market for Christmas. And there were many activities for children, of which the bedtime storytelling sessions (dress code: pyjamas) tended to be the most popular.
XXX
XXXAround 1,500 authors participated in the Salon. While the majority were French-language writers, a sizable percentage were authors who write in English or other languages, and who wished to promote the French translations of their books. One innovation this year: the Lectomaton, a recording booth that allowed people a 60- to 90-second time slot to read from a favorite book in front of a video camera, for immediate Internet dissemination. Nine literary awards were handed out during the Salon du livre, of which the Prix du Grand Public was the most prized because it was decided by popular vote during the Salon. (from montrealgazette.com)
XXX
Discover more:
0 Comments:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
