(Montreal) Quebec writer Denis Monette, author of L’Ermite and Les Bouquets de noces, died on Monday. He was 86 years old.
His publisher, Éditions Logiques, as well as the Salon du livre de Montréal, where he was guest of honor in 2009, call him “a true master of bestsellers”. It has sold more than a million copies across Quebec and the entire Francophonie.
Mr. Monette has also been a cultural journalist and has done interviews with the most famous artists, from Quebec to Hollywood. He then began his career as a novelist in 1990.
His first novel, Adèle et Amélie, was selected as Novel of the Year by Renaud-Bray when it was reissued in 1997.
In total, Mr. Monette has published around thirty books, the last of which, Ignacio and his women, will be published in October.
“In addition to being a major author for our company, Mr. Monette has been an outstanding collaborator, and a friend. I would have liked so much to give him his copy of his next novel. I will miss his presence, ”said the publishing consultant at Éditions Logiques, François Godin, in a press release.
During his career as a journalist, Mr. Monette notably worked for Le Monday magazine. He kept a column there for 25 years. From 1978 to 1985, he was editor-in-chief, general manager and vice-president of publications at Québecmag.
From his encounters with renowned artists, he drew the story A Journalist in Hollywood in 1985. The same year, he published a collection of notes, Au fil des sentiments, which was nominated for the Audience Award at the Salon du Montreal book.
Some of his books are autobiographical, such as The Devil’s Umbrellas, in 1993, which is inspired by his childhood, and Together Forever, in 2015.
His 1998 novel The Hermit was bestseller for four months. The first opus of a trilogy, it was followed by Pauline Pinchaud, servante in 2000 and Le Rejeton in 2001.
“With his novels, stories and collections of notes, he was able to draw a portrait of Quebec society and its popular culture and touch, thanks to his insightful pen and imprint of humanity, the hearts of thousands of readers” , underlined the editorial director of Éditions Logiques, Marike Paradis.
A prolific author, his latest novels are Pardonnez-vous, Seigneur et Benjamine et son destin, published respectively in 2020 and 2021.
Mr. Monette died at the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur-de-Montréal, the Groupe Livre de Quebecor Media, which oversees Éditions Logiques, announced on Tuesday. The cause of death has not been released.
He is survived by his daughter Sylvie and his grandchildren.