a 32nd book fair in person
The 32nd edition of the Dieppe Book Fair will be held from October 20 to 23. This is the first time since 2020 that the event has taken place in person. Visitors will be able to meet flesh-and-bone authors and touch ink and paper books.
The current director of the Salon du livre de Dieppe, Liette Paulin LeBlanc, unveiled the program for her event in person for the first time. She highlighted the new features: four stations equipped with headphones giving a taste of audio books and a café with author talks.
Literature enthusiasts will also be able to find activities they are familiar with: the Reading Passport, which allows three schools to buy $1,000 worth of books; the Reading Marathon through which young readers receive prizes; round tables, conferences, interviews, parties and shows.
Visitors will be able to listen to and meet 55 authors from Acadia and from all over the Francophonie, as well as booksellers and publishers.
“The good thing about a book fair is that it’s not just books: it’s an ecosystem,” enthused author Sébastien Lord-Émard. It is a huge community of cultural workers, bookstores, publishers, parents and children.
Asset for education
The vice-president of the Dieppe Book Fair, Abdelatif Imazitene, also welcomed the upcoming launch of the 32nd edition of the event. This punctuates the cultural life of Dieppe, but above all, it makes it possible to share and transmit the taste for reading, according to him.
“Thousands of children in the District [scolaire] French speaking [sud] are accompanied there in their discovery of reading, argued Mr. Imazitene. It is important that everyone can, from an early age, make reading a sacred moment. This must occupy a prominent place in the lives of children, so that once adults, they live it again in a natural way.
The mayor of Dieppe, Yvon Lapierre, also deemed the book fair important for education.
“It’s a special event for grandpa and his grandchildren, told the chosen one in reference to his personal life. I often left my wallet there! It is so important for the education of our young people.”
Mr. Lord-Émard judged that the largest French-speaking city in Canada outside Quebec would benefit from having a book fair.
“During this event, Dieppe becomes a great capital, a literary capital, a cultural capital for Francophones of all origins. Obviously, I say that in the other cities of New Brunswick that host book fairs,” laughed the one who hosted the launch conference.
