Under the honorary presidency of cartoonist Iris Boudreau, Jean Dumont and David Ménard will represent Outaouais and French Ontario writers respectively.
The SLO will also be an opportunity for lovers of literature of all kinds to reconnect with well-known figures such as Patrick Senécal, Maureen Martineau, Catherine Éthier, Alex A, Chrystine Brouillet, Marina Orsini, Chloé Sainte-Marie and Jean Morisset or even Francine Ouellette , to name just a few.
Here are the activities that caught our attention.
campfire and drama
New this year: An Evening by the Campfire brings together six authors who share fairy tales and other stories with the audience. Joanie Serré, Mo Bolduc, Lex Vienneau, Luc-Antoine Chiasson, Louis-Karl Picard-Sioui, Jay Odjick and Isabelle Amounou draw on Aboriginal mythology as well as French and Acadian legends. These fireside stories take place at the Bar à mots in the Palais des Congrès.
Saturday, February 25 at 6:30 p.m
Second-year students of the Conservatory in Play at the University of Ottawa’s Department of Theater created We Are All Islands, adapted from One.Two.Three. by Mani Soleymanlou. Victor Barrette Paulhaus, Mauricio Campbell-Martinez, Laurie Caron, Laurence Gallant, Sarah Komendat, Victoria Michel, Lingeshwaren Mootoocurpen and Raphaël Racine present a collage of their texts.
Thursday, February 23, 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., room Désert B
In conjunction with Black History Month
As a highlight of Black History Month, the SLO is dedicated to the publishing house Mémoire d’encrier, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Elkahna Talbi, Rodney St-Éloi and Jean-René Moisan will provide voices for the book Baldin, Styron et moi by Mélikah Abdelmoumen. This reading show will highlight the friendship between James Baldwin, grandson of a black slave, writer and anti-racism advocate, and William Styron, descendant of slave owners.
Friday February 24th, 8pm, Salle Jean-Despréz
A big brunch around philosopher Charles W. Mills’ race contract, originally published in 1997, brings together publisher Rodney St-Éloi and Columbia University philosophy professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne and Westbter. The latter signs the first French translation of this important text challenging white supremacy.
Saturday 25 February, 10am, Desert Room of the Palais des Congrès
Live(r)e l’Acadie
The SLO is putting Acadia in the spotlight this year, notably by counting among its honored guests the author Vanessa Léger, whose L’aware series was crowned at Combat national des livres 2022.
Sunday 26 February at 12.30 p.m., Place Yves-Thériault
Essayist for Monctor Mentor – Geocriticism of a City, Benoît Doyon-Gosselin, will share his perspective on the city of Moncton, Acadia’s cultural capital, and the influence artists, among others, have had there.
Sunday 26 February, 3 p.m., Jacques Poirier stage
In addition, Espace Acadie will host various meetings and activities throughout SLO, including the Know Your Acadie? quiz.
Friday 24 February, 1pm, Espace Acadie (stand 116)
space for youth
Accompanied by Edem Awumey, Lisa L’Heureux, Monia Mazigh and Blaise Ndala, 10 CEGEP and high school students from Outaouais wrote about the environment. Her collective Minuit minus one brings together her texts in prose, poetry or theater and is launched at the SLO.
Thursday 23 February, 7 p.m., Jacques Poirier stage
We’re making way for TikTok, by Welcome to the world of TokTok Stars! with Marilou Addison and Genevieve Guilbault.
Thursday 23 February at 11.30 a.m. and Sunday 26 February at 10 a.m., Jacques Poirier stage
The young people involved in Dimension Sportive et Culturel’s DISC-O project will make their words and perhaps their suffering ring out in all their moods as youth tells their story.
Saturday 25 February, 10am, l’Apostrophe
Show and literary recipes
The climate emergency has inspired 12 writers from here and elsewhere. Result? The Collection Please Do Not Keep This Book In Case Of Fire, now directed by Lisa L’Heureux. Among others with Le R Premier, Mishka Lavigne, Jonathan Roy and Catherine Voyer-Léger.
Saturday, February 25, 7 p.m., room Désert A
From Thursday through Sunday, seven writers and a bookseller take turns offering their literary recipes (and allowing a break into their library by the band) to those interested, from poet Louise Dupré to ex-RBO Yves P. Pelletier, including the Columnist Catherine Éthier, former Bleu Poudre member Ghislain Taschenreau and Gatineau-born author Clémence Dumas-Côté.