Demers, Dominique 1956-

Personal

Born November 23, 1956, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; married; children: three. Education: McGill University, B.A.; University of Montreal, teaching certificate; University of Sherbrooke, Ph.D.

Addresses

Home—Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Career

Writer for children and adults. Former teacher at Charles Lemoyne College, Ste-Catherine, Quebec, Canada; worked as a journalist for twelve years. Has worked as an actress in film adaptations of her novels.

Member

Union des Écrivaines, Éscrivains Québécois.

Awards, Honors

Prix Jackman, 1986, for journalism; Prix Judith-Jasmine, 1987, for best article in a magazine; Mr. Christie Prize, 1993, for Un hiver de tourmente, 1994, for Les grands sapins ne meurent pas, 1998, for La mystérieuse bibliothécaire, and 2001, for Vieux Thomas et la petite fée; Prix du Signet d'Or de Plaisir, and Prix Québec/Wallonie-Bruxelles, both 1995, both for Ils dansent dans le tempête; Honor Book designation, International Board on Books for Young People, for both Les grands sapins ne neurent pas and La mystérieuse bibliothécaires; Prix de la Livromagie, 1996, for La nouvelle maîesse; Governor General's Award (Canada) finalist, Prix Brive/Montréal, and Prix Coup de Coeur Honor designation, all 1997, all for Maïna; three other Governor General's award nominations; Grand Prix in children's books category, Montérégiev, 1999, for La mystérieuse bibliothécaire; named member, Order of Canada, 2006.

Writings

Valentine picotée, illustrated by Phillippe Béha, Courte Échelle (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1991.

Toto la brute, illustrated by Phillippe Béha, Courte Échelle (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1992.

Un hiver de tourmente (novel), Courte Échelle (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1992.

Les grands sapins ne meurent pas (novel), Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1993.

(With Paul Bleton) Du petit poucet au dernier des raisins, illustrated by Anne Villeneuve, Amérique (Boucherville, Quebec, Canada), 1994.

Ils dansent dans la tempête (novel), Amérique (Boucherville, Quebec, Canada), 1994.

La nouvelle maîresse (novel), Amérique (Boucherville, Quebec, Canada), 1994.

Marie-Tempête (novel; includes Un hiver de tourmente, Grands sapins ne meurent pas, and Ils dansent dans la tempêe), Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1997.

Maïna, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1997, English translation by Leonard W. Sugden, Ekstasis (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada), 2001.

Marie la chipie, illustrated by Phillippe Béha, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1997.

La mystérieuse bibliothécaire, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1997.

La chien secret de poucet, illustrated by Steve Beshwaty, Dominique et Compagnie (Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Canada), 1999.

Perline Pompette, illustrated by Marie-Claude Favreau, Dominique et Compagnie (Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Canada), 1999, translation by David Homel published as Pearl Pennyworth, 1999.

Le pari (novel), Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1999.

Romé Lebeau, illustrated by Philippe Béha, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1999.

Une bien curieuse Factrice, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1999.

Poucet, le coeur en Miettes, illustrated by Steve Beshwaty, Dominique et Compagnie (Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Canada), 2000.

Vieux Thomas et la petite fée, illustrated by Stéphane Poulin, Dominique et Compagnie (Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Canada), 2000, translation by Sheila Fischman published as Old Thomas and the Little Fairy, 2001.

Léon Maigrichon, illustrated by Philippe Béha, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2000.

Là où la mer commence (novel), Laffont (Paris, France), 2001.

Une drôle de ministre, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2001.

Ta voix dans la nuit, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2001.

Annabel et la bête, illustrated by Stéphane Poulin, Dominique et Compagnie (Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Canada), 2002, translation by Sheila Fischman published as Annabel and the Beast, 2002.

Géant, tu ne me fais pas peur!, illustrated by Marisol Sarrazin, Éditions du Renouveau Pédagogique (Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada), 2002.

La pire journée de Papi, illustrated by Daniel Dumont, Dominique et Compagnie (Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Canada), 2002, translated as Grampy's Bad Day, Picture Window Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2005.

Le clip de Cendrillon, Éditions du Renouveaus Pédagogique (Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada), 2002.

Le monde des grands, illustrated Philippe Germain, Éditions du Renouveau Pédagogique (Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada), 2002.

Pour noël, Damien veut un chien, illustrated by Hélène Desputeaux, Dimédia (Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada), 2002.

L'oiseau des sables, illustrated by Stéphane Poulin, Dominique et Compagnie (Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Canada), 2003.

Le Zloukch, illustrated by Fanny, 400 Coups (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2003.

Zachary et son Zloukch, illustrated by Fanny, 400 Coups (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2004.

L'étonnante concierge, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2005.

Tous les soirs du monde, illustrated by Nicholas Debon, Imagine (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2005, translated by Sarah Quin as Every Single Night, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

Alexa Gougougaga, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2005.

Pétunia, princesse des pets, illustrated by Catherine Lepage, Dominique et Compagnie (Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Canada), 2005.

Boucle d'or et les trois ours: un conte classique, illustrated by Joanne Ouellet, Imagine (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2005.

La plus belle histoire d'amour, Imagine (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2006.

Pour Rallumer les étoiles, Amérique (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 2006.

Author's works have been translated into several languages, including Spanish.

OTHER

Les nouveaux héros des albums Québécois pour la jeunesse de 1970 à 1985 (master's thesis), Université du Québec (Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada),1989.

La bibliothèque des enfants, Le Jour (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), 1990.

Adaptations

Several of Demers' "Mademoiselle Charlotte" novels have been adapted for film, including La nouvelle maîtresse and La mystèrieuse bibliothècaire; Bien curieuse Factrice and Une drôle de ministre were adapted as the film L'incomparable Mademoiselle C.

Sidelights

Canadian journalist and educator Dominique Demers has an academic interest in children's literature; her master's thesis focuses on the representation and mythification of childhood in children's literature. While her education channeled her intellectual interest, her work as a fiction writer has allowed her to share her creative side in novels and stories for children and young adults. Though Demers writes in French—some of her most popular works among Quebec readers include her "Mademoiselle Charlotte" novels—translations of her books have gained her a following among an English-language readership as well. Calling Demers "one of our leading authors of literature for young people," a writer for the Governor General of Canada's Web site listed the many accomplishments leading to Demers being named a member of the prestigious Order of Canada in 2006.

Demers' first novel for children, Valentine picotée, is the story of eight-year-old Alexis, who becomes infatuated with Katarina, the new girl in his class. Although his plans to get Katarina to choose him as her Valentine misfire, when Katarina gets the measles and has to stay home from school on Valentine's Day, Alexis finds a way to prove his devotion to his new friend. Doris Lemoine, writing in the Canadian Review of Materials, deemed Valentine picotée "a light, humorous story that deals with real human emotions—love, friendship, hate and jealousy."

In Old Thomas and the Little Fairy Demers relates a dark tale of a down-on-his-luck fisherman who is unhappy with the world. Fortunately, after the man rescues a little fairy, his good luck allows him to once again find joy in life. When the fisherman is attacked and killed by a wild dog while protecting his miniature friend, the man dies happy, knowing that he has kept the tiny fairy safe. Judith Constantinides, reviewing the book for School Library Journal, dubbed Old Thomas and the Little Fairy a "strange, haunting story."

Geared for older readers, the novel Un hiver de tourmente is narrated by a fifteen-year-old girl whose mother is dying of cancer. While Nancy Senior cited concerns over Demers' narrative style and the way the author deals with mature themes, she added in her Canadian Review of Materials appraisal that "the mother's pain at leaving her daughter and the daughter's shock and confusion are quite moving."

Demers' many works for younger readers include the picture book Every Single Night, a translation of Tous les soirs du monde. Described as a "unique tale" by a Kirkus Reviews contributor, Every Single Night describes a father and son's bedtime ritual in which the pair say goodnight to the entire world. Carolyn Phelan, writing in Booklist, commented on the "poetic cadences" woven into Demers' text. "The dreamy, poetic language works nicely with the scenes of the natural world slipping into nighttime," wrote Shelley B. Sutherland in her School Library Journal review, and Horn Book critic Joanna Rudge Long praised Every Single Night as "dreamy, lyrical, and as cozy as a familiar lullaby."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Bookbird, summer, 1994, review of Les grands sapins ne meurent pas, p. 53.

Booklist, March 15, 2006, Carolyn Phelan, review of Every Single Night, p. 53.

Canadian Book Review Annual, 2001, review of Maïna, p. 153.

Canadian Children's Literature, spring, 2000, review of Marie-Tempête and Maïna, pp. 27-30.

Canadian Review of Materials, March, 1992, Doris Lemoine, review of Valentine picotée, p. 65; September, 1992, Nancy Senior, review of Un hiver de tourmente, p. 212.

Horn Book, May-June, 2006, Joanna Rudge Long, review of Every Single Night, p. 293.

Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2006, review of Every Single Night, p. 228.

Macleans, December 11, 2000, review of Old Thomas and the Little Fairy, p. 58.

Publishers Weekly, April 10, 2006, review of Every Single Night, p. 71.

School Library Journal, April, 2002, Judith Constantinides, review of Old Thomas and the Little Fairy, p. 103; May, 2006, Shelley B. Sutherland, review of Every Single Night, p. 86.

ONLINE

Anansi Press Web site,http://www.anansi.ca/ (February 23, 2007), "Dominique Demers."

Governor General of Canada Web site,http://www.gg.ca/ (February 15, 2006), "Governor General to Invest Thirty-three Recipients into the Order of Canada."

Littéraire des Éscrivains Québécois Web site,http://www.litterature.org/ (February 23, 2007), "Dominique Demers."

Québec Amérique Web site,http://www.quebec-amerique.com/ (February 23, 2007).