Gilles Archambault

Gilles Archambault, novelist (b at Montréal 19 Sept 1933). He received his BA (1955) from Collège Sainte-Marie and his LL (1957) from Université de Montréal. He worked for Radio-Canada (1963-92) before becoming a radio producer and commentator. He operated publishing house Les Éditions du Sentier with Jacques Brault and François Ricard from 1978 to 1986.

In 1963 he published his first novel, Une Suprême Discrétion, in which the disillusioned hero solves his problems through suicide. Next came La Vie à trois (1963), in which the novelist developed the same themes: the difficulties of living with a partner, lack of dialogue, the solitude; then Le Tendre Matin (1969). Six novels followed, exploring these themes, Parlons de moi (1970), La Fleur aux dents (1971), filmed by the NFB in a treatment by Pierre Turgeon (1975), La Fuite immobile (1974), Les Pins parasols (1976), Le Voyageur distrait (1981) and À Voix basse (1983). He has also published Enfances lointaines (1972), a collection of short stories, Le Tricycle and Bud Cole Blues (1974), 2 radio plays, then 2 prose works: Stupeurs (1979), and Les Plaisirs de la mélancolie (1980). In 1984 he published Le Regard oblique, a selection of texts in which he takes a humorous oblique look" at the pitfalls of the writer's trade. Archambault has since continued the exploration of his personal space and individuality with themes including childhood, memory, love, aging and loneliness in works such as Premier amour (1988), Les Choses d'un jour (1991), Enfances lointaines, nouvelles (1992), Un Après-midi de septembre (1993), Un Homme plein d'enfance (1996), Les Maladresses du coeur (1998), Courir à sa perte (2000), Comme une panthère noire (2001), De si douces dérives (2003), La vie à trois (2004), De l'autre côté du pont (2004), L'Ombre légère (2006), Stupeurs (2007), Les Rives prochaines (2007), Nous étions jeunes encore (2009) and Un promeneur en novembre (2011).

Also notable are his Nouvelles chroniques matinales (1994) and Dernières chroniques matinales (1996), works broadcast on the Chaîne culturelle network of Radio-Canada, where the author is recognized - among his other accomplishments - as a leading jazz expert.

Gilles Archambault won the Prix Athanase-David (1981) and the Prix Fleury-Mesplet (2005) for his body of work as well as the Governor General's Award (1987).