Blais, Marie-Claire (1939–)

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Blais, Marie-Claire (1939–)

Canadian novelist and playwright. Born Oct 5, 1939, in Quebec City, Canada; attended Laval University.

Dominant figure in Canadian letters, was praised by Edmund Wilson and others; works, which are noted for their lyrical intensity, depictions of violence, and surreal effects, address homosexual issues and often present characters in conflict with society; novels, which have all been written in French and translated into English, include La Belle Bête (1959, Mad Shadows), Tête blanche (1960, White Head), Une Saison dans la vie d'Emmanuel (1965, A Season in the Life of Emmanuel), L'Insoumise (1966, The Fugitive), David Sterne (1967), Les Manuscrits de Pauline Archange (1968, The Manuscripts of Pauline Archange), Le Loup (1972, The Wolf); Le Sourd dans la ville (1979, Deaf to the City), Visions d'Anna (1982, Anna's World), L'Ange de la solitude (1989), Un Jardin dans la tempête (1990) and Soifs (1995, These Festive Nights); also published poetry and plays. Received Governor-General's Literary Award (1969, 1979, 1996), Prix Medicis (1965), Prix d l'Académie française (1983) and Prix Athanase-David (1982); elected to Belgian Académie française.

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