Quiet Revolutions: Literature in Québec

What is Québécois literature? It’s a question with an ever-changing answer that stretches back nearly 500 years.

Early travelogues, histories and verse were published in France for European readers; there was no printing press in Quebec until it came under British control in the 1760s.

From the conservative Ecole Patriotique, which rejected the ideas of post-revolutionary France; to the “quiet revolutionaries” of the 1960s and ’70s who pushed for a secular, independent Quebec and challenged Anglophone influences; to an increasingly cosmopolitan group of writers urging for a more inclusive definition of Québécois identity, writers in Quebec offer a rich portrait of the region and its people.

Our focus will be on modern and contemporary Québécois literature. We’ll look at the influence of the Quiet Revolution, with its educational reforms, creation of a Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and support for the flourishing of francophone publications and publishing houses. We’ll also read Marie-Claire Blais’s masterpiece of rural Québec and enjoy Québécois noir with a novel by crime writer Louise Penny.

Relax from the day’s activities in truly distinctive accommodation. Le Monastère des Augustines is a former monastery run by the Augustinian sisters, who arrived in New France in 1639 and founded the North American continent’s first hospital, or hôtel-dieu, on the St. Lawrence River. The cells and cloisters have been turned into bright, comfortable rooms and public spaces with a focus on relaxation and healing.

Summer or winter, Québec City is one of North America’s most beautiful cities. June offers warm weather and long days, with plenty of time to enjoy the city’s outdoor dining scene. Join us to explore the fascinating multicultural and multilingual literary heritage of Québec City, UNESCO City of Literature.