Joël Champetier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joël Champetier
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| Born | 30 November 1957 La Corne, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | 30 May 2015 (aged 57) St-Tite, Quebec, Canada |
| Occupation | novelist |
| Genre | Science fiction, fantasy |
Joël Champetier (born November 30, 1957 – died May 30, 2015) was a talented French-Canadian writer. He was known for his amazing stories in the world of science fiction and fantasy.
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About Joël Champetier
Joël Champetier was born in La Corne, Quebec, a place in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue area of Canada. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked in a field called electrochemistry.
His first story, Le chemin des fleurs (which means "The Path of Flowers"), was published in 1981. It appeared in a Quebec magazine about science fiction and fantasy called Solaris. He wrote many stories for different magazines and collections. Some of these stories were even translated into English!
His Books for Young Readers
In 1990, Joël Champetier published his first novel for young people. It was called La mer au fond du monde (meaning "The Sea at the Bottom of the World").
His Adult Novels
His first science fiction novel for adults, La taupe et le dragon ("The Mole and the Dragon"), came out in 1991. This book was later translated into English and published in the United States as "The Dragon's Eye."
Joël Champetier's books were also published in France. For example, his fantasy novel Les sources de la magie ("The Sources of Magic") was released in 2005.
Being Part of the Writing Community
Joël Champetier became a very important person in the world of Quebec science fiction and fantasy writers.
- In 1983, he helped organize the Boréal Congress. This is a yearly meeting for science fiction fans in Quebec.
- He was on the board of directors for the Boréal Congress for many years. From 1994 to 1999, he was even the vice-president!
- In 1987, he started working as a book critic for a publication called L'année de la science-fiction et du fantastique québécois (which means "The Quebec Science Fiction and Fantasy Annual").
At Solaris magazine, where his first story was published, he also played a big role.
- He joined the team that decided what stories to publish.
- From 1990 to 1994, he was the literary director.
- He was also a co-ordinator from 1992 to 1996. During this time, the magazine won three Prix Aurora Awards, which are important awards for Canadian science fiction and fantasy.
- In 1995, he worked with another writer, Yves Meynard, on a special collection of stories called Escales sur Solaris to celebrate the magazine's anniversary.
Special Recognition
In 1996, Joël Champetier was honored at the Salon du livre de l'Abitibi-Témiscaminque, a book fair in his home region. He had previously helped plan the events for this fair in 1991.
In 2001, he was a special guest at the World Fantasy Convention. This is a very big event for fantasy writers and readers from all over the world.
His Writing Style
Many people compared Joël Champetier's writing to the style of famous author Stephen King. His novels like La mémoire du lac ("The Memory of the Lake"), La peau blanche ("White Skin"), and L'aile du papillon ("The Butterfly's Wing") are good examples of his unique style.
His 1997 novel La peau blanche was even made into a movie in 2004! The film was directed by Daniel Roby and was released in English as White Skin.
His Passing
Joël Champetier passed away on May 30, 2015, at the age of 57, after a battle with cancer. At the time, he was living in Saint-Séverin-de-Proulxville and was still working as the managing editor of Solaris magazine.
Awards and Special Mentions
Joël Champetier won many awards for his amazing writing:
- 1982: Prix Boréal for Le chemin des fleurs
- 1989: Prix Casper for Survie sur Mars
- 1991: Prix Boréal (novel category) for La Mer au fond du monde
- 1991: Prix Boréal (story category) for Cœur de fer
- 1992: Prix Boréal for La Taupe et le Dragon
- 1995: Prix Aurora Award for La Mémoire du Lac
- 1995: Grand Prix de la science-fiction et du fantastique québécois (Grand Prize for Quebec Science Fiction and Fantasy) for his works: La mémoire du lac, Le secret des sylvaneaux, Visite au comptoir dénébolien, and Esclave du sable.
He was also a finalist for several other awards:
- In 1984 and 1985, for a screenplay contest by Radio-Québec (now called Télé-Québec).
- In 1992, for the Prix Québec/Wallonie-Bruxelles.
- In 1993, for the Prix Brive/Montréal for his story Le jour-de-trop.
