National Library News September 1999 Vol. 31, no. 9

Gems in the Collection: Primary Resources for Research in Quebec and French-Canadian Literature in the National Library’s Literary Manuscript Collection

by Pat MacDonald,
Research and Information Services

Primary resources for the study of Quebec and French-Canadian literature form a vital component of the National Library’s Literary Manuscript Collection. Acquired, preserved and made available for research are the papers of Canadian writers of literature, and papers of Canadian individuals and organizations in related fields, such as publishing and the book arts. The papers and illustrations of writers and illustrators of children’s books are also acquired. A collection may include manuscripts and drafts, correspondence, artwork, photographs, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, cassette tapes, and computer discs.

Most of the collections, or fonds, date from the modern period of Canadian literature and include some of its pioneers. Saint-Denys Garneau, who is widely regarded as the father of modern Quebec poetry, has his papers in the collection, as do novelists Roger Lemelin and André Giroux, both of whom have ties to early television. Lemelin, who is credited with helping to create the modern Quebec novel, inspired a popular TV series with his novel, Les Plouffes. André Giroux also won the first Governor General’s prize for French-Canadian literature in its original language, awarded by the Canada Council in 1959 for Malgré tout, la joie.

One of the early creators of literature for children, Marie-Claire Daveluy, is represented in the collection. The fonds of a large number of well-known children’s writers and illustrators can be found, including those of Gilles Tibo, Ginette Anfousse, Stéphane Poulin, and Marie-Louise Gay. To complement this resource, the Canadian Literature Research Service houses the published works of these authors.

The French-language component of the National Library’s Literary Manuscript Collection provides researchers with primary resource material for a wide selection of Canada’s francophone writers. The papers of many of Canada’s best known and most highly acclaimed francophone writers are in the collection: Manitoba writer Gabrielle Roy, the nationally and internally renowned Michel Tremblay, Marie-Claire Blais, Réjean Ducharme, Jacques Godbout and Fernand Ouellette. Other noteworthy writers represented include: Anne-Marie Alonzo, Roger Fournier, Pierre Morency, Jacques Poulin, Louky Bersianik, Robert Lalonde, Jean Marcel, Francine Ouellette, and former National Librarian, Guy Sylvestre.

There are important connections and interrelations within the fonds and between the fonds and the published collections of the National Library: the Jeanne Lapointe, Mary Meigs and Michèle Mailhot fonds all contain material that relates to Marie-Claire Blais; the fonds of Éditions du Sentier are included along with those of its founders, Gilles Archambault and Jacques Brault. The National Library holds the fonds of Art Global, the publishing house that specializes in livres d’artistes and which published the first Quebec edition of Jacques Godbout’s Salut Galarneau! in 1976 ¹. The collection also includes the fonds of Guy Roberts, the founder of Éditions du Songe and Iconia, both of which published many livres d’artistes. The National Library houses these and many other livres d’artistes within its Rare Book Collection.

The Literary Manuscript Collection includes the papers of a substantial number of winners of major prizes awarded within Quebec, Canada and internationally. (A list of these is appended.) The Prix Athanase-David, the highest literary prize awarded by the Quebec government, has been awarded to: Gabrielle Roy, Gilles Archambault, Marie-Claire Blais, Jacques Godbout, Jacques Brault, Fernand Ouellette, Michel Tremblay, Réjean Ducharme, and Jacques Poulin. Winners of the Prix France-Quebec include: Marie-Claire Blais, Fernand Ouellette, Michel Tremblay, Francine Ouellette, Jacques Poulin, Pierre Morency, and Robert Lalonde. Among the winners of the coveted Governor General’s Awards are several authors who have won more than once: Fernand Ouellette, Gabrielle Roy, Marie-Claire Blais, Réjean Ducharme, Stéphane Poulin, and Gilles Tibo. Manitoba writer Gabrielle Roy, was awarded twice for translations of her works: in 1947 for The Tin Flute (the translation of Bonheur d’occasion ) and in 1957 for Street of Riches (the translation of Rue Deschambault) ² .

Not only does the collection contain the fonds of Quebec and French-Canadian authors who write at an award-winning level in French; it also contains the fonds of some writers who have proven themselves equally successful in both English and French. Marie-Louise Gay is one such author. She manifested her wide appeal in 1984, when she accomplished the unprecedented feat of winning the Canada Council children’s literature prize for illustration in both the English-language (Lizzy’s Lion written by Dennis Lee) and the French-language categories (Drôle d'école). With the acquisition of the papers of Sheila Fischman, who has translated the works of a number of authors in the collection (e.g., Michel Tremblay, Marie-Claire Blais, Jacques Godbout), literary translation has become another component of the collection and forms a bridge between literature expressed in French and that expressed in English. Be they graduate students, biographers, or editors of correspondence, researchers can find these interesting materials at the National Library. Most collections are available for consultation, but permission may be needed from the author or his/her estate and some restrictions may apply. Finding aids are available for many of the collections. A general guide, Literary Manuscripts at the National Library of Canada and its Supplement are also available and demonstrate that the National Library’s collection of Quebec and French-Canadian Literary Manuscripts is both varied and substantial.