Projects
Rallye Vieux-Québec littéraire
As the cradle of French-language culture in North America, Old Québec bears the traces of a long literary tradition. Launched in the summer of 2021, this discovery trail puts the city’s rich history literally on the map. People who follow the trail are invited to (re)discover 25 points of interest and their treasures. This year, visitors are also invited to find the clues hidden in the texts to enter the contest and win a prize package.
Toponymy
From here and elsewhere, cities of literature reveal their roots. In words and colours, discover the origins of their names: toponyms of the past, revisited in the present. This exhibition was created and produced by Quebec City of Literature, UNESCO, presented on the occasion of the 2023 annual meetings of the UNESCO Cities of Literature. It can be seen for the last time this summer at parc Chauveau until the end of August.
Interview with Emte, illustrator from Jakarta
Emte is a visual artist based in Jakarta, UNESCO City of Literature. He created the illustration for the city's segment in the exhibition Toponymy and came to see his work on site, in Quebec, in Octobre 2023. We were able to ask him a few questions about his art and his history.
Une ville, un livre
Since 2019, Une ville, un livre has sought to connect the local community through a single Québec-authored book. Book clubs, meetings, and other activities are organized to foster conversation among readers. Called One City, One Book in English, this initiative originated in Seattle and has been adopted by a number of UNESCO Cities of Literature.
UNESCO Quebec-Kraków Cross-Residency at the Maison de la littérature
In August 2023, the Maison de la littérature hosted Polish author Radek Rak as part of the UNESCO Quebec-Kraków Cross-Residency, supported by the Cultural Development Agreement. During his stay, Radek Rak worked on the second book of his Agla cycle, a fantasy trilogy on totalitarianism, and on a polyphonic novel on the evolution of his polish province in the last 30 years. Get to know the author in three questions.
World Poetry Day
World Poetry Day is one of the four UNESCO international days celebrated by the Cities of Literature. Here are the activities happening in Quebec on the occasion.
Quebec-Norwich Virtual Residency
Norwich and Quebec, UNESCO Cities of Literature, invited their writers to apply for a virtual cross-residency that took place in fall 2022. The exchange aimed to build bridges between the two cities and to further both literay worlds' outreach. Read what came of it, by Juliette Bernatchez (Quebec) and Megan Bradbury (Norwich).
Saint-Pie-X Ephemeral Library
Located in a multicultural neighbourhood, the Saint-Pie-X ephemeral library is set up in a renovated martime container. It holds books destined to children, ages 0 to 12, and aims to foster their love of reading and academic achievement.
Poésie sur les toits
This Québec, UNESCO City of Literature signature project showcases five poetic fragments by artists from Québec and Wendake, in French and Wendat. Rendered in neon, these pieces have been installed on rooftops since the summer of 2021 to illuminate the city.
Confluence. À la rencontre de la littérature d’ici.
More than 250 writers call the Québec and Chaudière-Appalaches regions home, as do many editors, publishers, booksellers, and other organizations that bring words to life. Confluence is an invitation to meet these artists and mediators. This publication is produced by Table des lettres de Culture Capitale-Nationale et Chaudière-Appalaches.