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Fiction Short Stories (single Author)

A Blanket Against Darkness

by (author) Catherine Harton

translated by Renée Masson

Publisher
University of Ottawa Press
Initial publish date
Apr 2019
Category
Short Stories (single author), Small Town & Rural
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780776627496
    Publish Date
    Apr 2019
    List Price
    $14.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780776627472
    Publish Date
    Apr 2019
    List Price
    $19.95

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Description

In these Nordic woods where the ancestors called blowing snow the sweet breath of death, an artist fashions bewitching jewels out of feathers, a man of fifty-four corresponds with the author of a bottled message thrown out to sea, another awaits the onslaught of the storm to open wide his mouth and drink it whole. 
Nature flares its gills, in this book, where forgiveness is both sought after and offered. A Blanket Against Darkness bursts with stories that spring from the earth. Its relic-filled landscapes, where one single movement can set off the migration of an entire colony, are constant reminders that one is never completely alone. 
Published by Marchand de feuilles in 2015, Traité des peaux was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Awards and for the Prix des Cinq continents de la Francophonie.
This book is published in English, translated from the original "Traité des peaux".
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En ces forêts nordiques où les ancêtres appellent la poudrerie le souffle de la mort, une joaillière fabrique des bijoux avec des plumes d’oiseaux, un homme de 54 ans correspond avec celui qui a envoyé un message dans une bouteille jetée à la mer, un autre attend que l’orage éclate pour ouvrir la bouche et le boire en entier. 
La nature ouvre ses branchies, dans ce livre, où l’on demande et propose le pardon. A Blanket Against Darkness est rempli de talismans qui viennent de la terre. Ses paysages nous montrent que nous sommes un peuple nordique et que nous ne sommes pas seuls au monde. Nous habitons des lieux peuplés de reliques, où un seul mouvement brusque peut faire migrer toute une colonie. 
Paru chez Marchand de feuilles en 2015, Traité des peaux a été finaliste aux Prix littéraires du Gouverneur général, de même qu’au Prix des Cinq continents de la Francophonie.
Ce livre est publié en anglais, une traduction du titre original "Traité des peaux".

About the authors

Born in Montreal in 1983, she is the author of Petite fille brochée au ciel, Monomanies et Francis Bacon apôtre. Her works were shortlisted for the Émile-Nelligan Award, the Estuaire-Bistrot Leméac poetry award, and the Alain-Grandbois poetry award. In 2013, she received the Félix-Antoine Savard poetry award. She studies Psychology at UQAM.

Catherine Harton's profile page

Renée Masson grew up on the outskirts of a small mining town in Northern Manitoba. In 2019, her MA thesis in literary translation was nominated for the Commission on Graduate Studies in Humanities Prize at the University of Ottawa. In addition to A Blanket Against Darkness, Renée’s published translations include “The Offering” and “Like Song in Unknown Tongue” by award-winning Quebecois authors Lucie Lachapelle and Charles Bolduc.

Renée Masson's profile page

Excerpt: A Blanket Against Darkness (by (author) Catherine Harton; translated by Renée Masson)

She is used to this land and its weaknesses, she has put years into taming the cold’s blade, into perfecting her role. Soon, the black, never-ending nights will stretch over the countryside, the stars alone will serve as guides, asterisks of fragile existence.