LITERATURE. It was several years before the work “De Gaulle and I” was on the shelves of booksellers. Its author, Marc Dauphin, tells how this story, initially written in English, found its way to a publisher on the other side of the Atlantic, in France.
A simple challenge underlies the Coaticokoois author’s seventh book. “Five or seven years ago my partner told me why don’t you start with an idea, an idea to write a story in English. After the release of our Never Again War trilogy, I completely ran out of fuel. One day there was a copy of the second volume of the same trilogy at my desk. I opened a random page and came across a character who was presumed dead [l’action de cet ouvrage se passe durant la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, en pleine occupation allemande de la France]. So I left from there. »
We find the same character a few hours later waking up in the hospital. “It is the story of a teenager who fled the occupation. After his treatment, he returned to Paris, where he found a job in a local bar. Without giving away too much about the elements that lead him to General De Gaulle, let’s assume that he ends up saving his life. »
“De Gaulle and I” was first introduced to Mr. Dauphin’s manager for the English-speaking market. The latter was categorical, it would not interest these readers. Without giving up, the author decided to translate his work into French to offer it in Quebec. Result: one no and 19 silence from the provincial publishers. “It’s about the liberation of Paris, so I thought the French might be interested. Ultimately, I received five positive responses from publishers there. Last June I took a short trip to France to meet with decision makers. It’s not easy having to say no to four people,” he emphasizes, pointing out that Éditions du Panthéon was chosen.
Published at the end of November, the book will be available in Quebec in the coming weeks through Messageries ADP.
His film and television projects are still in progress. “It takes time,” he admits. It’s difficult with The Ring of Gabriel because it’s about the Holocaust, so we have to be very careful with this topic. I can’t wait to bring one of my stories to the screen. »
