The 62nd edition of the Salon du livre du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean officially opened on Thursday at Place Centre-Ville in Jonquière, bringing together a record 360 authors and unveiling five major literary prize winners during its opening night ceremony, ici.radio-canada.ca reported.
The Bottom Line
- The Event: The 62nd Salon du livre du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean runs through October 4 at Place Centre-Ville Jonquière.
- The Winners: Five literary prizes were awarded during Thursday’s opening ceremony, including honors for Sébastien Gagnon, Michel Lemieux, Stéfanie Tremblay, Gérard Bouchard, and Gabriel Marcoux-Chabot.
- The Scope: A record 360 authors are participating in approximately 40 scheduled events, featuring roundtable discussions and interviews across the region.
Prizes Awarded on Opening Night
Organizers launched the multi-day literary gathering by handing out the 36th Prix littéraires, selecting recipients from regional authors who published new works over the past year. The competition evaluated works based on literary quality and originality through a dedicated jury.
In the youth category, authors Sébastien Gagnon and Michel Lemieux secured the prize for their book Skidoo et loups-garous. Stéfanie Tremblay claimed the poetry and theater category with her collection Cinéma, while Gérard Bouchard took the general interest category for Terre des humbles.
Gabriel Marcoux-Chabot won the novel, narrative, and short stories category for his book Godpèle. Meanwhile, the discovery category winner was announced ahead of the opening: Radio-Canada journalist Priscilla Plamondon-Lalancette received the honor for her book Steak, blé d’Inde, patates.
Record Author Attendance and Regional Focus
Running through October 4, the festival features a record of 360 participating writers, including prominent literary figures such as Michel Jean, Gérard Bouchard, and India Desjardins. The program includes around 40 distinct activities, ranging from panel discussions to major interviews and dedicated youth programming.
Events extend beyond the main venue at Place Centre-Ville Jonquière into regional libraries and museums. Organizers placed a strong emphasis on local talent by presenting regional authors who published within the past year with a luxury-bound edition of their latest work.
| Category | Winner | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Youth | Sébastien Gagnon and Michel Lemieux | Skidoo et loups-garous |
| Poetry and Theater | Stéfanie Tremblay | Cinéma |
| General Interest | Gérard Bouchard | Terre des humbles |
| Novel, Narrative, and Short Stories | Gabriel Marcoux-Chabot | Godpèle |
| Discovery | Priscilla Plamondon-Lalancette | Steak, blé d’Inde, patates |
Participants Highlight Unique Festival Atmosphere
Authors attending the opening day emphasized the distinct appeal of the Saguenay event compared to other literary gatherings on the circuit. Comic book artist Dominic Pelletier noted the high energy levels of participants early in the publishing season.
“It’s my favorite book fair for two reasons: because the people are friendly and warm, and also because it comes early in the book fair season, which means nobody is jaded, everyone is happy,” Pelletier stated. “At fairs that happen later, people are a bit greener and tired, but at this time of year, everyone still has plenty of energy.”
Author Sylvie Payette pointed out the level of personal engagement from attendees in the region. “In other fairs, people walk and stroll. They look, and suddenly there’s a book that attracts them, they look at the book, but they don’t even ask for a summary. They pass, they continue,” Payette observed. “Whereas here, there is really always an interaction. So, from there to tell you that it’s the best fair, I think so.”
Regional author Jean-Luc Doumont described the value of connecting with both established followers and new readers who collect autographed editions. The festival activities continue across Jonquière and surrounding regional venues through October 4.
