Roch Carrier

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Roch Carrier in 2006

Roch Carrier, OC, (born 13 May 1937) is a celebrated Canadian novelist and author of "contes" (a very brief form of the short story). He is among the best known Quebec writers in English Canada.^[1]

He was born in Sainte-Justine, Quebec and studied at the Collège St-Louis in New Brunswick, the Université de Montréal in Quebec, and at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France, where he received a doctorate in literature.

From 1994 to 1997, he served as head of the Canada Council. In 1998, he ran as an electoral candidate for the Quebec Liberal Party under Jean Charest, in the riding of Crémazie. He was defeated by 309 votes.

In 1991, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1999, Carrier was named National Librarian of Canada. He held this office until 2004.

In 1992, Carrier's Prayers of a Very Wise Child (Prières d'un enfant très très sage) won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.

Carrier championed Jacques Poulin's novel Volkswagen Blues in Canada Reads 2005.

Also involved in theatre (having served as playwright at the Théâtre du Nouveau-Monde), Carrier has adapted La guerre, yes sir! and Floralie, où es-tu? for the stage. La guerre, yes sir! was produced as a play in 1970, was performed in English at the Stratford festival, and has been made into a film. Floralie, où es-tu? was performed by Théâtre du Nouveau-Monde in 1974. The trilogy consisting of these two novels and Il est par là, le soleil sold better in English than in French.^[1]

Image:CAD5 Back.png

$5 bill featuring an excerpt from "The Hockey Sweater"

An excerpt from "Le chandail de hockey" ("The Hockey Sweater"), one of Carrier's most famous contes, is reprinted on the back of the Canadian five-dollar bill. The story, about a young boy who orders a Montreal Canadiens sweater from the Eaton's catalogue, but receives a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey instead, is considered by many to be a literary allegory for the linguistic and cultural tensions between English and French Canadians, and is thus considered one of the most important works of Canadian literature ever written, essential reading for anybody who seeks to understand the complex realities of linguistic and cultural identity in Canada. The National Film Board of Canada has made this story into an animated short film, narrated by Carrier in both the French and English versions. ^[2]

Sheila Fischman has won various awards for translation of his books into English.

[edit] Selected bibliography

Roch Carrier as a young boy

Jolis deuils: Petites tragédies pour adults — 1964
La guerre, yes sir! — 1968 (translated as La Guerre, Yes Sir! — 1970) ISBN 0-88784-626-2
Floralie, où es-tu ? — 1969 (translated as Floralie, Where Are You? — 1971)
Il est par là, le soleil — 1970 (translated as Is It the Sun, Philibert? — 1972)
Le deux-millième étage — 1973 ((translated as They Won't Demolish Me! — 1974)
Le jardin des délices — 1975 (translated as The Garden of Delights — 1978)
Il n'y a pas de pays sans grand-père — 1977 (translated as No Country Without Grandfathers — 1981)
Les Enfants du bonhomme dans la lune — 1979 (translated as The Hockey Sweater and other stories — 1979)
Les voyageurs de l'arc-en-ciel — 1980
Céleste bicyclette — 1980 (translated as The Celetial Bicycle)
La dame qui avait des chaînes aux chevilles — 1981 (translated as Lady with Chains)
Le cirque noir — 1982
Ne faites pas mal à l'avenir — 1984
De l'amour dans la ferraille — 1984
La fleur et autres personages — 1985
Un chameau en Jordanie — 1988
Enfants de la planète — 1989
L'homme dans le placard — 1991
Le cannot dans les nuages — 1991
Prières d'un enfant très très sage — 1991 (translated as Prayers of a Very Wise Child)
Fin — 1994 (translated as The End)
Petit homme tornade — 1996 (translated as The Lament of Charlie Longsong)
Prières d'un adolescent très très sage — 1998 (translated as Prayers of a Young Man)
Une chaise — 1999
Les moines dans la tour — 2004