Quebec writer Monique Proulx won the Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie 2022 on Friday for her novel Enlève la nuit, published by Éditions du Boréal last March.
In a press release, jury president Paula Jacques spoke of a “unique, poetic and original” novel.
“A young man who wants to break away from his faith community sets out rigorously and self-sufficiently to discover the modern world in a North American metropolis. In this unfamiliar world, he will discover both contemporary cruelty and the urgency of solidarity. A story that captivates us for the uniqueness of its language and the texture of its characters. The words have an unexpected depth, the situations are lived at the height of “a man with nothing”. Grief, longing, naivety, light and hope: everything is there to sing about the novel of an era,” said the international jury, which also included the author and journalist Lise Bissonnette.
Monique Proulx will receive this award on March 20th, on the occasion of International Francophonie Day. Established in 2001 by the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), the prize is associated with a stipend of 15,000 euros (approx. C$21,800). The OIF will ensure that the author is promoted over the next 12 months by ensuring her participation in literary meetings, fairs and international exhibitions, it said.
In particular, Monique Proulx won the Prix des Libraires du Québec and the Prix Québec-Paris for her novel The Man Who Is Invisible at the Window (1993), adapted for cinema by Jean Beaudin under the title Souvenirs Anonymes. The film adaptation of his novel The Sex of the Stars was also nominated for the Oscars and the Golden Globes.