American Notebooks

Marie-Claire Blais
Marie-Claire Blais (1939-2021) was a prolific and influential Canadian novelist, playwright, and poet, whose career spanned over six decades. Born in Quebec City, she published her first novel, La Belle Bête (Mad Shadows), at the age of 20, which quickly established her as a formidable voice in Québécois literature. Over her lifetime, Blais authored nearly 30 novels, along with numerous plays, poetry collections, essays, and an autobiography.

Throughout her illustrious career, Blais received numerous accolades, including four Governor General's Literary Awards, the Prix Médicis, the Gilles-Corbeil Prize, and two Guggenheim Fellowships. She was also honored as a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France, recognizing her significant contributions to literature and culture. She was invited, as one of the very few foreigners allowed, to join Belgium's Academy of French Language and Literature.

Linda Gaboriau
Linda Gaboriau is an award-winning literary translator based in Montreal. Her translations of plays by Quebec's most prominent playwrights have been published and ­produced across Canada and abroad. In her work as a ­literary manager and dramaturge, she has directed ­numerous translation residencies and international exchange projects. She was the founding director of the Banff International Literary Translation Centre. Most recently she won the 2010 Governor General's Award for Forests, her translation of the play by Wajdi Mouawad.