The 1940s marked a turning point in Québec’s artistic and literary landscapes, with the publication, among other things, of Les îles de la nuit by Alain Grandbois, one of the first collections of free verse poetry in Québec (1944), the publication of the manifestos Prisme d'yeux and Refus global (1948), and the founding of Éditions Erta by Roland Giguère (1949).
In this episode, we explore this tumultuous period of cultural modernization. Joined by guests Marie Noël, archivist at the University of Ottawa Library, and Isolda Gavidia, curator of decorative arts and design at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, we take a closer look at the first edition of Alain Grandbois’ Les îles de la nuit, illustrated by Alfred Pellan, as well as Faire naître, the collection of poetry that enabled Roland Giguère to launch Éditions Erta, a new surrealist and experimental publishing house dedicated to handcrafted books. We also discover the surprising collection of Québec Artists' Books, which reflect the creativity and growing interest in engraving and printmaking among avant-garde Québec artists, from the post-war period to the 1970s. Listen now on Spotify.
You can also catch up on previous episodes of “Trésors d’archives”:
Episode 1: This first episode focuses on our collection of French manuscripts. Guests Marie Noël, archivist at the University of Ottawa Library, and Maxime Prévost, full professor in the Département de français at the University of Ottawa, discuss the manuscript of Mademoiselle Merquem, a novel by the great French Romantic writer George Sand.
Episode 2: This second episode focuses on our pamphlet collection and features Emma-Adèle Bourgeois Lacerte, a Francophone author from Ottawa. We discuss popular French-Canadian literature—a far cry from Québec rural literature!—with Marie Noël, archivist at the University of Ottawa Library, and Lucie Hotte, professor emerita in the Département de français at the University of Ottawa and former director of the Centre de recherche sur les francophonies canadiennes (CRCCF).
All episodes are available on the Library's Spotify account.
Please note that “Trésors d’archives” is available in French only.
Enjoy!
This podcast is brought to you as part of the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second Official-Language Instruction.