Naomi Fontaine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Naomi Fontaine
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| Born | September 29, 1987 Uashat, Canada |
| Occupation | Novelist, Teacher |
| Literary movement | CanLit |
| Notable works |
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Naomi Fontaine is a talented Canadian writer from Quebec. She is known as one of the most important First Nations writers in French-speaking Canadian literature today. She is a member of the Innu nation.
Contents
Who is Naomi Fontaine?
Early Life and Education
Naomi Fontaine is from the Innu nation, and her home community is Uashat, Quebec. She went to Université Laval to study education. This helped her become a teacher.
Her First Book: Kuessipan
Naomi Fontaine's first novel, Kuessipan, was published in 2011. It was a very special book. In 2012, it received an honourable mention from the Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie. This award recognizes great French-language books from around the world.
Kuessipan is a thoughtful story about life in the wild areas of northeastern Quebec. Naomi Fontaine wrote this book in French when she was twenty-three years old. The book shows the Innu community, who were traditionally hunters and fishers. It also tells about strong mothers and their children. They face tough times with quiet strength.
The book helps readers feel like they are right there in the story. It describes elders watching their families grow. It also shows young people dealing with challenges. The story includes caribou-skin drums that make people want to dance. It paints a picture of lives lived along a beautiful bay. The book reminds us that life is like a puzzle, and we need to put the pieces together to understand it fully.
Her Second Book: Manikanetish
Naomi Fontaine's second novel, Manikanetish, came out in 2017. This book was also very successful. It was a finalist for the Governor General's Award for French-language fiction in 2018. This is one of Canada's most important literary awards.
In 2017, a short piece she wrote called "Tshinanu" was chosen to be in Granta's Canadian issue. Granta is a famous literary magazine.
Manikanetish was also chosen for a special event in 2019 called Le Combat des livres. This event is like a book battle where different people defend their favorite books. Surgeon Stanley Vollant defended Manikanetish.
Kuessipan as a Movie
Naomi Fontaine's first novel, Kuessipan, was turned into a movie in 2019. The film was directed by Myriam Verreault. Naomi Fontaine and Myriam Verreault worked together on the movie's script. They were nominated for the Prix Iris for Best Screenplay at the 22nd Quebec Cinema Awards for their work.
Naomi Fontaine's Published Works
- Kuessipan. Mémoire d'encrier, 2011
- Translated by David Homel: Kuessipan. Arsenal Pulp Press 2013
- Manikanetish. Mémoire d'encrier, 2013
- Translated by David Homel: Tshinanu. Granta #141, special: Canada September 2017, pp. 279–285 (from the French)
- Translated by Sonja Finck: Tshinanu. In Jennifer Dummer ed.: Pareil, mais différent - Genauso, nur anders. Frankokanadische Erzählungen. Bilingue. dtv, Munich 2020, pp 92–109
- With Olivier Dezutter, Jean-François Létourneau ed.: Tracer un chemin: Meshkanatsheu. Hannenorak, 2017
- Shuni. Mémoire d'encrier, 2019 (This book won the "Prix littéraire des collégiens" in 2020)
See also
In Spanish: Naomi Fontaine para niños
