Magnetic poetry

As some of you may know, my science-fiction novel La quête de Chaaas didn’t win the Trillium last June 16th, but I met wonderful people.

Some awards are centered on the winners, casting away the finalist as soon as they are announced. Not the Trillium. The OMDC did everything to gave all finalists the feeling that they are respected and active members of the community (instead of the negative cliché of “Sunday artists”).

Autoportrait of a Sunday artist

My mother, who took the 5-hours train from Montréal to attend the Awards readings and ceremony, felt treated like a queen.

My mother, myself and Daniel Marchildon, one of the “adult books” finalists, before the public readings.

Michèle with Mireille Messier

Here is a photo of me and Mireille Messier,  fellow children’s book author, a few minutes after the June 15th public readings.  I wear a pendant (looking like a little planet) made by local GTA artist, Kymberlee, of Mississauga.

All the finalists and their guests received a little box of magnetic words,  extract from  all 17 books.

Magnetic poetry, from the 17 books in the Trillium shortlist. What a thrill to see “Chaaas” on the fridge!

And, on the next  Thursday, I received this:

A nice congratulations letter from my Mississauga-Streetsville MPP Bob Delaney. The Trillium 2009 magnetic poetry box is in front. Those  marks of appreciation did wonders for my morale, and the impetus to pursue the writing career.

As a science-fiction writer, my social responsibility is to see far, to think ahead and find creative solutions to the many challenges that lay in the future, as we will face the consequences of our present choices. And introducing children to the many flavors of the literary ice cream, encouraging them to read, to learn and to persevere, is my ever ongoing task.