Naomi Fontaine's novel "Kuessipan" emerges victorious in literary competition
In the latest edition of the Combat national des livres, airing live on ICI Première, Naomi Fontaine's novel Kuessipan emerged victorious, championed by Ghislain Picard. This literary triumph comes ahead of the upcoming release of Fontaine's new book, Eka ashate-Ne flanche pas, set to hit shelves in August.
Kuessipan faced off against André A. Michaud's Baignades in the final round, with Mariana Mazza lending her support. Interestingly, this isn't Fontaine's first time gracing the Combat des livres finals, as her book Manikanetish made the cut in 2019.
This year's Combat saw five titles vying for the coveted title. Welsford, by Claude Guilmain, defended by journalist and politician Sheila Copps, found support. Candace Savage's Des inconnus sous mon toit, translated by Michel Saint-Germain, secured a spot, championed by Fransaskoise singer-songwriter and filmmaker Alexis Normand. Meanwhile, Dyane Léger's Mayday was backed by multidisciplinary artist and Acadian poet Xenia Gould.
The 5th edition of the Combat des livres jeunesse will take place this Friday.
Although we don't have the full list of finalists for the 9th edition, our sources do reveal that Naomi Fontaine's Kuessipan clinched the 2025 edition, with Ghislain Picard leading the charge. If you're interested in previous editions, Blaise Ndala secured victory in 2019, championed by Marie-Maude Denis with Sans capote ni kalachnikov. Unfortunately, the comprehensive finalists list for the 9th edition remains elusive.
In the context of Naomi Fontaine's novels dominating literary events, her book Eka ashate-Ne flanche pas is set to join the list of her entertainment successes, following the victory of Kuessipan. The arts scene might experience another Fontaine triumph soon, as Kuessipan is also slated to win the 2025 Combat des livres jeunesse.
