François Gravel Explained
François Gravel |
Birth Date: | 25 October 1951 |
Birth Place: | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Occupation: | novelist, young adult writer |
Language: | French |
Genres: | --> |
Subjects: | --> |
Notableworks: | Ostende, Fillion et frères, Adieu, Betty Crocker |
Spouses: | --> |
Partners: | --> |
François Gravel (born October 4, 1951) is a Canadian writer from Quebec.[1] Most noted as an author of literature for children and young adults, he has also published a number of adult novels.[2]
An economics graduate of the Université du Québec à Montréal, Gravel taught economics at Cégep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu until 2006.[3] He is the partner of writer Michèle Marineau and the father of writer and illustrator Élise Gravel.[4]
His most recent adult novel, À vos ordres, colonel Parkinson!, was inspired by his own recent diagnosis with Parkinson's disease.[1] This book is available in an English translation titled "Colonel Parkinson in Charge: A Wry Reflection on My Incurable Illness" (House of Anansi Press, 2023), translated by Shelley Pomerance.
Many of his works have been translated into English by Sheila Fischman.[5]
Awards
He won the Governor General's Award for French-language children's literature at the 1991 Governor General's Awards for Deux heures et demie avant Jasmine.[6] He has been shortlisted for the award five other times: at the 1994 Governor General's Awards for Klonk,[7] at the 2000 Governor General's Awards for L'été de la moustache,[8] at the 2002 Governor General's Awards for David et la maison de la sorcière,[9] at the 2008 Governor General's Awards for Sales crapauds[10] and at the 2012 Governor General's Awards for Hò.[11]
Fischman has received three nominations for the Governor General's Award for French to English translation for her translations of Gravel's work at the 1990 Governor General's Awards for Benito,[12] the 1992 Governor General's Awards for Felicity's Fool (Bonheur fou)[13] and the 1996 Governor General's Awards for Ostende.[14]
Gravel won the French Mr. Christie's Book Award in 1991 for Zamboni,[15] and in 2001 for David et le fantôme in conjunction with illustrator Pierre Pratt.[16] Gravel and Pratt won the French TD Canadian Children's Literature Award in 2006 for David et le salon funéraire.[17]
His adult novel Adieu, Betty Crocker was a competing title in the 2014 edition of Le Combat des livres, where it was defended by actress Pauline Martin.[18]
Works
Novels
- La Note de passage, 1985
- Benito, 1987
- Effet Summerhill, 1988
- Bonheur fou, 1989
- Les Black Stones vous reviendront dans quelques instants, 1991
- Ostende, 1994
- Miss Septembre, 1996
- Vingt et un tableaux (et quelques craies), 1998
- Fillion et frères, 2000
- Je ne comprends pas tout, 2002
- Adieu, Betty Crocker, 2003
- Mélamine Blues, 2005
- Vous êtes ici, 2007
- Voyeurs, s'abstenir, 2009
- À deux pas de chez elle: La première enquête de Chloé Perreault, 2011
- Toute une vie sur les bancs d’école, 2016
- Idées noires, 2017
- La petite fille en haut de l’escalier, 2018
- À vos ordres, colonel Parkinson!, 2019
- Colonel Parkinson in Charge, 2023 (non-fiction)
Children's and young adult literature
Klonk series
- Klonk, 1993
- Lance et Klonk, 1994
- Le Cercueil de Klonk, 1995
- Un amour de Klonk, 1995
- Le Cauchemar de Klonk, 1997
- Klonk et le Beatle mouillé, 1997
- Klonk et le Treize noir, 1999
- Klonk et la Queue du scorpion, 2000
- Coca-Klonk, 2001
- La Racine carrée de Klonk, 2002
- Le Testament de Klonk, 2003
- Klonk contre Klonk, 2004
David series
- David et le Fantôme, 2000
- David et le Précipice, 2001
- David et les Monstres de la forêt, 2001
- David et la Maison de la sorcière, 2002
- David et l'Orage, 2003
- David et les Crabes noirs, 2004
- David et le Salon funéraire, 2005
- David et la Bête, 2007
- David et Léa, 2008
Other
- Corneilles, 1989
- Zamboni, 1990
- Deux heures et demie avant Jasmine, 1991
- Granulite, 1992
- Guillaume, 1995
- Le Match des étoiles, 1996
- Kate, quelque part
- L'Été de la moustache, 2000
- La Piste sauvage, 2002
- L'Araignée sauvage, 2004
- Sekhmet, la déesse sauvage, 2005
- Sacrilège, 2006
- Les Horloges de M. Svonok, 2007
- Sales Crapauds, 2007
- La Cagoule, 2008
- Sauvage, 2010
- Du soccer extrême !, 2010
- Ça, c'est du baseball, 2010
- Ok pour le hockey !, 2011
- Il pleut des records, 2011
- Silence, on zappe !, 2012
- Schlick, 2012
- Hò, 2012
- À nous deux, Barbe-Mauve !, 2012
- Hollywood, nous voici, 2013
Notes and References
- https://www.journaldequebec.com/2019/03/24/lart-de-raconter-cette-terrible-maladie "François Gravel: l’art de raconter la terrible maladie de Parkinson"
- https://lactualite.com/culture/lauteur-du-mois-francois-gravel/ "L’auteur du mois : François Gravel"
- https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/livres/entrevues/201707/18/01-5117167-elise-et-francois-gravel-des-projets-decriture-pere-fille.php "Élise et François Gravel: des projets d'écriture père-fille"
- Claudia Larochelle, "Élise Gravel, Michèle Marineau et François Gravel: Sainte tribu". Les libraires, April 21, 2015.
- "Even rebellious kids grow up one day and become their parents". Waterloo Region Record, November 2, 1996.
- [Arlene Perly Rae]
- "Familiar faces; Munro, Atwood among Governor-General's Literary Awards field". Montreal Gazette, October 27, 1994.
- "'Writing and dreaming in different voices'". The Globe and Mail, October 25, 2000.
- "Finalists for the 2002 Governor General's Literary Awards". Canadian Press, October 21, 2002.
- "Governor General's Literary Awards Nominees". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, October 22, 2008.
- "Les noms des finalistes des prix litteraires du gouverneur general sont révélés". Canadian Press, October 2, 2012.
- "Alice Munro among finalists for Governor-General's Literary Awards". Montreal Gazette, November 16, 1990.
- "Governor General's Awards: finalists in other categories". Edmonton Journal, October 6, 1992.
- "6 writers nominated for fiction Governor-General's shortlist announced". The Globe and Mail, October 18, 1996.
- "Authors awarded for kids books". Halifax Daily News, May 1, 1991.
- "French authors to tour P.E.I.: Performing readings at French schools, libraries". Journal Pioneer, October 20, 2003.
- "TD Canadian Children's Literature Award Announces David et le Salon funeraire the Winner of $20,000 - the Largest Literature Award in Canada". Canada NewsWire, October 17, 2006.
- https://revue.leslibraires.ca/actualites/le-monde-du-livre/le-combat-des-livres-2014-les-finalistes "Le combat des livres 2014 : les finalistes!"