Croisée des mots continues!

The third season of Croisée des mots began in September and continues until April 2022. Each meeting takes place virtually at 7:00 pm. Mark the dates of the next meetings in your agenda, so you don't miss anything! 

• Marie-Josée Martin, January 19: Marie-Josée Martin grew up in Quebec at a time when ramps were considered unusual objects. Her second novel, Un jour, ils entendront mes silences (David, 2012), won four literary awards, including the Ottawa Book Award. She recently published L'Ordre et la Doctrine (Prise de parole, 2021), the first volume of the feminist anticipation trilogy After Massāla. She has also contributed to several collectives, including Raconter Vanier (David, 2017), dedicated to the Ottawa neighbourhood that has been her home for a dozen years. She writes while continuing to work as a translator-editor and founded L'expressive, a language services company specializing in egalitarian writing practices.  

• Gabriel Osson, February 16: Franco-Ontarian writer, poet and artist Gabriel Osson was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and lives in Toronto. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Association des auteures et auteurs de l'Ontario Français (AAOF) as President and on numerous other boards. For over 10 years, he has hosted the weekly program Franco Découvertes on CHOQ FM 105.1, Toronto's French-language radio station. In 2017, he published Hubert, le restavèk, a first novel about the condition of child domestic workers in Haiti, with Éditions David. The novel was a finalist for the Christine-Dumitriu-van-Saanen award. His novel, Le jour se lèvera, also published in 2020 by Éditions David, earned him the Alain-Thomas 2021 award. In June 2021, he published Les voix du chemin, at Éditions Terre d'Accueil, and in October 2021, a collection of poetry, D'ici et d'ailleurs.  

• Michel Thérien, March 16: Born in Ottawa, Michel Thérien devotes his time to writing and promoting poetry. Several of his books have been translated and have received various awards and recognitions. Le poème involontaire, finalist for the Ottawa Book Award, French Fiction 2021, is his eleventh anthology. Michel has also participated in several literary collectives and journals. Most recently, he co-edited with Nelson Charest Le Projet TERRE published by Éditions David.  

• Louis L'Allier, April 13: Passionate about ancient and modern Greece, Louis L'Allier has written several essays and articles on antiquity. His first novel, Les danseurs de Kamilari (Vermillon, 2010) won the Christine Dumitriu-Van-Saanen prize. Since then, he has published three more, including Nikolaos, le copiste (Éditions David, 2016). An avid walker, he has traveled extensively on the trails of the Gaspé Peninsula, Turkey, Greece, Kenya and Italy. His latest book, Le mystère de Némi, is a captivating thriller in which Louis L'Allier brilliantly illustrates how history can give us the key to our own freedom and quench our thirst for adventure. 

Each event is hosted by Ottawa native Hugues Beaudoin Dumouchel, who is a host, columnist, voice-over artist, conference interpreter and master of ceremonies. On television, Hugues has hosted TV Rogers' election nights, as well as Coups Francs and Court-Circuit. On Saturday mornings, Hugues is the media reviewer on the program Les Malins, broadcast on Ici Radio-Canada Première. He can occasionally be heard as a replacement host on various radio programs on Ici Radio-Canada Première in Ottawa-Gatineau. 

These literary encounters are presented in partnership with the Association des auteures et auteurs de l'Ontario français (AAOF), the Greater Sudbury Public Library, the Hearst Public Library, the Toronto Public Library and the Hearst Salon du livre. A great way to discover or rediscover Franco-Ontarian literature and its authors! #jelisfo