Germaine Guèvremont facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Germaine Guèvremont
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| Born | Germaine Grignon April 16, 1893 Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | August 21, 1968 |
| Occupation | Novelist Short story writer Journalist |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Period | 1930s-1960s |
| Notable works | En pleine terre Le Survenant Marie-Didace |
| Spouse | Hyacinthe "Hy" Guèvremont |
Germaine Guèvremont, born Grignon, was a well-known Canadian writer. She was born on April 16, 1893, and passed away on August 21, 1968. Germaine became a very important figure in Quebec literature. Her stories often showed life in rural Quebec.
Contents
A Writer's Journey
Germaine was born in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec. She studied in Quebec and also in Toronto. Before she became a famous novelist, she worked as a journalist. She wrote for magazines aimed at women.
In 1916, she married Hyacinthe "Hy" Guèvremont. They moved to Sorel. For some years, she focused on her home life. Later, she returned to journalism. She wrote for The Gazette and edited Le Courrier de Sorel.
The Guèvremonts later moved to Montreal. During the Great Depression, Germaine worked as a court stenographer. This meant she wrote down everything said in court very quickly. Around this time, she also started writing short stories.
Her Famous Books
Germaine's first book was En pleine terre. It was a collection of her short stories, published in 1938. She then wrote her most famous novel, Le Survenant, in 1945. A sequel, Marie-Didace, followed in 1947.
These two novels were later combined into one English book. It was called The Outlander and came out in 1950. This book was very successful. It won the fiction prize at the 1950 Governor General's Awards. This is a major award for Canadian writers. The book was also published in the United Kingdom as Monk's Reach.
Germaine did not write any more novels after these. However, she kept writing journalism and short stories. She also adapted her books for radio and television. She started writing her life story, called memoirs, but only finished two chapters before she died in 1968.
Family Connections
Germaine Guèvremont was the cousin of another writer, Claude-Henri Grignon. He wrote Un Homme et son péché. Interestingly, Germaine's novels are seen as some of the last important examples of romans du terroir. These were traditional stories about rural life in Quebec. Her cousin's book, however, was different. It was one of Quebec's first important modern novels.
Her Published Works
Here are the main books Germaine Guèvremont published:
- En pleine terre (1942/1946)
- Le Survenant (1945)
- Marie-Didace (1947)
- The Outlander (1950; this was an English translation of both Le Survenant and Marie-Didace in one book)
Awards and Special Honours
Germaine Guèvremont received many awards for her writing.
- Her novel Le Survenant won the Prix David from the government of Quebec.
- It also won the Prix Sully-Olivier de Serres from the Académie française in France.
- She was a member of the Académie des lettres du Québec.
- In 1976, Canada Post honoured her with a postage stamp.
- Le Survenant was chosen for the 2010 edition of Première Chaîne's Le Combat des livres. This is a popular book competition.
