Jacques Godbout

Jacques Godbout, OC, CQ (born November 27, 1933) is a Canadian novelist, essayist, children's writer, journalist, filmmaker and poet. By his own admission a bit of a dabbler (''touche-à-tout''), Godbout has become one of the most important writers of his generation, with a major influence on post-1960 Quebec intellectual life.

Biography

Born in Montreal, Quebec, after studies at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf and the Université de Montréal, Godbout taught French in Ethiopia before joining the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as producer and scriptwriter in 1958.

He was active during Quebec's Quiet Revolution during which time he wrote a number of penetrating essays, the most important of which were collected in ''Le Réformiste'' (1975) and ''Le Murmure marchand'' (1984).

Godbout was a co-founder of ''Liberté'' (1959), the Mouvement laïque de la langue française (1962) and the Union des écrivains Québécois (1977). Godbout's films include four full-length features and more than 15 documentaries. He has also written nine novels for adults and two for children. Godbout currently writes a monthly column in the Quebec newsmagazine '' L'actualité''.

Godbout lives in Outremont, a former city now in Montreal. He is the grand-nephew of former Quebec Premier Adélard Godbout.

Godbout's novel '' Une histoire américaine'' (1986) was chosen for inclusion in the French version of ''Canada Reads'', broadcast on Radio-Canada in 2004, where it was championed by trade-union activist and professor Gérald Larose.

Awards and recognition

On June 30, 2016, Godbout was made an Officer of the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston for "his significant contributions to the literary arts and critical thinking for more than half a century."

His other awards and recognition include:

* Chevalier of the National Order of Quebec
* Ludger-Duvernay Prize (1973)
* Awarded the 2007 Prix Maurice Genevoix for ''La concierge du Panthéon''
* Nominated for a 1997 Governor General's Award for children's literature for ''Une leçon de chasse''
* Winner of the Quebec government's Prix Athanase-David in 1985
* Prix Belgique-Canada (1978)
* Winner of the 1967 Governor General's Award for Fiction for ''Salut Galarneau''

In 1973 Joseph Pivato published "Nouveau Roman Canadien" in ''Canadian Literature'' No. 58, the first English language analysis of ''Le couteau sur la table'' which he claims changed his whole career as a writer who has published fourteen books by 2023.

Bibliography

Poetry

*''Carton pâte'' — 1956
*''Les pavés secs'' — 1958
*''C'est la chaude loi des hommes'' — 1960
*''La grande muraille de Chine'' — 1969
*''Souvenirs Shop — poèmes et proses'' — 1984

Fiction

*''L'aquarium'' — 1962
*''La couteau sur la table'' — 1965 (translated into English as ''The Knife on The Table'')
*''Salut Galarneau!'' — 1967 (winner of the 1967 Governor General's Award for Fiction; translated into English as ''Hail Galarneau!'')
*''D'amour P.Q.'' — 1972
*''L'isle au dragon'' — 1976 (translated into English as ''Dragon Island'')
*''Les têtes à Papineau'' — 1981
*'' Une histoire américaine'' — 1986
*''Le temps des Galarneau'' — 1993
*''Opération Rimbaud'' — 1999

Non-fiction

*''Le réformiste: textes tranquilles'' — 1975
*''Le murmure marchand'' — 1984
*''Abécédaire Québécois'' — 1988
*''L'écran du bonheur'' — 1990
*''L'écrivain de province: journal 1981–1990'' — 1991
*''L'ésprit du don'' — 1993
*''Le sort de l'Amérique'' — 1997

Children's literature

*''Une leçon de chasse'' — 1997 (nominated for a Governor General's Award)
*''Mes petites fesses'' — 1998

Filmography

Fiction

* '' YUL 871'' - 1966
* '' Kid Sentiment'' - 1967
* '' IXE-13'' - 1971
* '' The Swindle (La Gammick)'' - 1974

Documentaries

* '' À St-Henri le cinq septembre'' (narration)
* ''Les Administrateurs''
* ''L'Affaire Norman William''
* ''Aimez-vous les chiens?''
* ''Alias Will James''
* ''Anglo Blues''
* ''Anne Hébert, 1916–2000''
* ''Bientôt Noâl''
* ''Les Canadiens''
* ''Cinéma vérité : le moment décisif''
* ''Comme en Californie''
* ''Derrière l'image''
* ''Deux épisodes dans la vie d'Hubert Aquin''
* ''Les Dieux''
* ''Distorsions''
* ''L'École des peintres''
* ''En dernier recours''
* ''L'Extràme-Nord canadien''
* ''Fabienne sans son Jules''
* ''Feu l'objectivité''
* '' Les héritiers du mouton noir''
* ''Huit témoins''
* ''L'Invasion (1775–1975)''
* ''L'Invention du stress''
* ''Jacques de Tonnancour, une interview''
* ''Les Maîtres-sondeurs''
* ''Marée au Ghana''
* ''Le monde va nous prendre pour des sauvages''
* '' The Black Sheep (Le Mouton noir)''
* ''Paul-Émile Borduas (1905–1960)''
* ''Les Petits Arpents''
* ''Pour l'amour du stress''
* ''Pour quelques arpents de neige''
* ''Le Prospecteur et la Technique''
* ''Quand vient l'été''
* ''Québec Soft (La musique adoucit les moeurs)''
* ''Rose et Landry''
* ''Le Sort de l'Amérique''
* ''Tàtes blanches''
* ''Le Tir au fusil''
* '' Traitor or Patriot (Traître ou Patriote)''
* ''Travail d'équipe et Recherches agricoles''
* ''Les "Troubbes" de Johnny''
* ''Un monologue Nord-Sud''
* ''Une Leçon de chasse''
* ''Vivre sa ville''
* ''Les Vrais Cousins''

See also

* List of Quebec writers
* List of Quebec film directors
*List of Quebec movies
* Literature of Quebec
*Culture of Quebec
* Cinema of Quebec

References

External links

*

Watch films by Jacques Godbout at NFB.ca
*
Jacques Godbout fonds (R11744)
at Library and Archives Canada

Godbout
item at Athabasca University

{{DEFAULTSORT:Godbout, Jacques
1933 births
Living people
Canadian documentary film directors
Canadian male novelists
20th-century Canadian poets
20th-century Canadian male writers
Canadian male poets
20th-century Canadian novelists
Canadian poets in French
Governor General's Award–winning fiction writers
Journalists from Montreal
Knights of the National Order of Quebec
Poets from Montreal
Film directors from Montreal
National Film Board of Canada people
Officers of the Order of Canada
Prix Maurice Genevoix winners
Prix Athanase-David winners
Canadian novelists in French
Canadian male non-fiction writers
Novelists from Montreal