Michel Tremblay criticizes the Harper government

Michel Tremblay won yesterday its fourth Award Press / Salon du livre de Montréal, and his second in as many years. After The hole in the wall in 2007, the public has decided to drive the novel The crossing of the continent, published by Leméac. In the category Books and testing practices, the Audience Award, presented in collaboration with the Association of Booksellers Quebec (ALQ), went to Jacques Salome for the book Who would I do if the sentence I was own? he signed hundreds of copies in recent days. This is the 58th book by psychologist and author, and his twelfth title published by Editions de l'Homme, which totals more than 1.3 million copies sold. Pierre Lespérance, president of Editions de l'Homme and guest of honor at the Salon du Livre de Montreal on the 50th anniversary of the house founded by his father, accepted the award for Mr. Salome, left for France yesterday morning. Absent last year, Michel Tremblay was there to accept his prize yesterday. He first thanked the faithful readers and theater lovers, who have supported during its 40-year career. After launching a small arrow to criticism that says (or words) that the crossing of the continent was "a painful novel -" I am pleased that the public has decided otherwise, "Mr. Tremblay took out a sheet and said "I'm going to read a text". The text in question was a load rule against the government of Stephen Harper, who announced earlier this fall reductions of 45 million in federal cultural programs, including export programs and international distribution. "Culture is what enables a people to assert themselves before the rest of the world," said Michel Tremblay who cut culture is the gesture of "a timid government that is afraid of subversion." "But subversion is necessary in a democracy, where it often is, he continued, the artists and creators" who posed questions than ever a government would pose ". Ignore the role of culture, concluded Michel Tremblay, leads to "inertia and insignificance". "Once and for all, great creativity and low censorship!" Note finally that the 31st Salon du livre de Montreal received 120 000 visitors including 18 000 students and nearly 1450 authors. In addition, the program "Play as a gift" of the Literacy Foundation has collected 3500 new books to be distributed to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.