Margaret Atwood finally at the Salon international du livre de Québec

After a first attempt thwarted by the pandemic in 2020, the internationally renowned Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood will finally be the headliner of the Auteur.e Studio literary meetings at the Salon international du livre de Québec (SILQ).

In addition to the author of the great success The Scarlet MaidAuteur.e Studio will welcome in its new home at the Théâtre Capitole, from April 12 to 16, the French writer Marc Levy, the Belgian Amélie Nothomb, the Quebecers Janette Bertrand and Patrick Senécal as well as the Franco-Canadian Nancy Huston.

By lining up the stars on the poster for this new part of the SILQ, general manager Daniel Gélinas is counting, as when he was in charge of the Summer Festival, on the power of attraction of the big names to attract reflectors on the event and the city.

“It will help the show sell more tickets, it will help up-and-coming Quebec authors who come to the show. The more people who come, the more access they have to books and authors. They are communicating vessels. At the FEQ, it was a bit like that. The star made it possible to bring in more money to put more relief on the stage. »

Paid word of mouth

According to Mr. Gélinas as well as the director of communications and programming of the SILQ, Johanne Mongeau, convincing these renowned authors to make a detour to Quebec City was not too difficult.

Word of mouth has been an asset, according to Ms. Mongeau. “These people talk to each other. 10 or 15 years ago, we might have had more difficulty convincing them because people didn’t know us. Quite humbly, people now know the SILQ and it is considered one of the best [salons du livre]. »

“Some people will be surprised when they see our staging. It happened last year. We hope that these authors will tell others about it,” adds Daniel Gélinas.

“Literary show”

Described by the mayor of Quebec Bruno Marchand as “a literary spectacle” during the SILQ press conference on Tuesday, Auteur.e Studio will finally spread all its wings in 2023, after being canceled in 2020 and 2021, then presented with only Quebec authors last year.

What does it look like ? Daniel Gélinas describes a performance in front of an audience, directed by Raphaël Posadas, with screens and music. An up-and-coming author from the Quebec City region will open for the star of the day (see box for schedule).

Writer Claudia Larochelle will host all meetings, except for the one involving Margaret Atwood. The mandate to question him was entrusted, as was planned in 2020, to Marie Laberge.