Pick up some fall reading material at annual book fair

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This article was published 18/09/2017 (3168 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A key voice in the city’s francophone literary community is hoping Winnipeggers bookmark some time to attend an upcoming book fair.

Nicole Coudière — who co-owns La Boutique du Livre (129-B Marion St.) with her husband, Antoine — is one of the key organizers of the upcoming Expo-Livres Manitoba 2017, which will be held at Centre étudiant at the Université de Saint-Boniface (200 avenue de la Cathédrale) from Wed., Sept. 27 to Fri., Sept 29.

The annual event is a partnership between the store, Université de Saint-Boniface Bibliothèque Alfred-Monnin and Livres en fête, the French language component of THIN AIR, the annual Winnipeg International Writers Festival, which takes place between Sept. 22 and 30.

Several authors have been invited to participate in the event by Livres en fête, which include Dominique Scali, Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, Charles Leblanc, Diane Lavoie, and Marie-Louise Gay.

Coudière said the event is tailor-made for individuals with an interest in reading in French, as Expo-Livres Manitoba 2017 will showcase more than 2,000 French-language publications with a wide target audience ranging from very young kids to school-aged children, teenagers, adults, and researchers. As well, specialists will be available to help visitors make their selections, with service also available in English.

She said a large part of her audience are individuals connected with French immersion schools and students of French, as well as members of the French community.

“The event provides a great opportunity to francophone and Francophile readers to do a bit of early Christmas shopping, as there are so many neat books out there,” Coudière said. “This could include parents and grandparents of kids in the French-language education community.”

“This is the most important French-language literary event of the year in the city, I think, in terms of a cultural event and a literary event. There’s nothing else like it here, and at no other time of the year do you have this opportunity to get to know French literature. It’s one thing seeing books online, but it’s a totally different experience in person. Plus, I’ve learned so much about children’s literature by flipping through books.”

There are no parking restrictions during the three-day event on avenue de la Cathédrale between Taché Street and Aulneau Street during the three-day event, Coudière said.

Go online at ustboniface.ca/expo for more information. 

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com