Jacques Poulin
Encyclopedia
Jacques Poulin is a Canadian
novelist with a quiet and intimate style of writing.
Poulin studied psychology
and arts at the Université Laval
in Quebec City
; he started his career as commercial translator
and later became a college guidance counselor. Only after the success of his second novel, Jimmy (1969), was he able to devote himself completely to his writing. Poulin has written eleven novels, most of which have been translated into English
by Sheila Fischman
, and published by Cormorant Books.
Poulin lived in Paris
for 15 years, but now lives in Quebec City.
Poulin's Volkswagen Blues
was selected as a candidate in the CBC
's 2005 edition of Canada Reads
, where it was championed by Roch Carrier
, author and former National Librarian of Canada
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
novelist with a quiet and intimate style of writing.
Poulin studied psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and arts at the Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
; he started his career as commercial translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
and later became a college guidance counselor. Only after the success of his second novel, Jimmy (1969), was he able to devote himself completely to his writing. Poulin has written eleven novels, most of which have been translated into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by Sheila Fischman
Sheila Fischman
Sheila Leah Fischman, CM is a Canadian translator who specializes in the translation of works of contemporary Quebec literature....
, and published by Cormorant Books.
Poulin lived in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
for 15 years, but now lives in Quebec City.
Poulin's Volkswagen Blues
Volkswagen Blues
Volkswagen Blues is a novel by French-Canadian writer Jacques Poulin. Volkswagen Blues was published in French in 1984; it was translated into English by Sheila Fischman and published by McClelland & Stewart in 1988 and subsequently re-issued by Cormorant Books in 2002.Volkswagen Blues was...
was selected as a candidate in the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's 2005 edition of Canada Reads
Canada Reads
Canada Reads is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC.-Overview:During Canada Reads, five personalities champion five different books, each champion extolling the merits of one of the titles. The debate is broadcast over a series...
, where it was championed by Roch Carrier
Roch Carrier
Roch Carrier, OC is a Canadian novelist and author of "contes" . He is among the best known Quebec writers in English Canada....
, author and former National Librarian of Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada is a national memory institution dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible for use in the 21st century and beyond...
.
Awards and recognition
- Winner of the Governor General's Award1978 Governor General's AwardsEach winner of the 1978 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-English Language:*Fiction: Alice Munro, Who Do You Think You Are?...
in 1978 for Les grandes marées. - Nominated for the Governor General's Award1984 Governor General's AwardsEach winner of the 1984 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:Winner:*Josef Skvorecky, The Engineer of Human SoulsOther Finalists:...
in 1984 for Volkswagen Blues. - Nominated for the Governor General's Award1989 Governor General's AwardsEach winner of the 1989 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit received $5000 dollars and a medal from the Governor General of Canada. The winners and nominees were selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:...
in 1989, winner of the Prix Québec-Paris in 1989, the Prix Molson from the Académie des lettres du QuébecAcadémie des lettres du QuébecThe Académie des lettres du Québec is a national academy for Quebec writers.It was founded as the Académie canadienne-française in 1944 by Victor Barbeau and a group of writers. In 1992 it changed its name to the Académie des lettres du Québec, under much controversy.It brings together writers and...
in 1990 and the Prix France-Québec in 1991 for Le Vieux Chagrin. - Winner of the Quebec government's Prix Athanase-DavidPrix Athanase-DavidThe Prix Athanase-David is a literary award presented annually by the government of Quebec as part of the Prix du Québec to a Quebec writer, to honour the body of his or her work....
in 1995 - Winner of the Molson PrizeMolson PrizeThe Thomas Henry Pentland Molson Prize for the Arts is awarded by The Canada Council for the Arts. Two prizes are awarded annually to distinguished individuals. One prize is awarded in the arts, one in the social sciences and humanities...
from the Canada CouncilCanada CouncilThe Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
in 2000 - Winner of the Gilles-Corbeil Prize (Le Nobel québécois) in 2008