Monique Corriveau
Monique Corriveau, born Monique Chowinardon on September 6, 1927, in Quebec City, was a notable Canadian author recognized for her contributions to children's literature and science fiction. Raised in a literary family, she pursued education at Laval University after attending the University of Toronto and initially aimed to become a writer. Following her marriage to Bernard Corriveau in 1951 and the birth of their ten children, she balanced family life with her writing endeavors, often creating works at home or in public spaces. Corriveau published her first book, "Le Secret de vanille," in 1959, and received acclaim for her subsequent children's novels, including "Le Wapiti" and "Le Maître de Messire." In the 1970s, she transitioned into science fiction, with works like "Patrick and Sophie Take a Rocket," which explored themes of time travel and societal contrasts. Despite being diagnosed with cancer in 1974, she continued to write until her passing on June 29, 1976. Posthumous recognition included the naming of a street and library in her honor, reflecting her lasting impact on literature and her commitment to her family.
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Monique Corriveau
Author
- Born: September 6, 1927
- Birthplace: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Died: June 29, 1976
Biography
Monique Corriveau was born as Monique Chowinardon on Sept. 6, 1927, in Quebec City. Her father was the city’s clerk. Her early education took place in the convent of the Ursuline sisters. She attended the University of Toronto and graduated from Laval University. Reading was prized in her family—her sister, Suzanne Martel, would also go on to a writing career. Although her childhood goal was to be a writer, she married Bernard Corriveau in 1951. They had ten children, which took much of her time. She did write, often on a kitchen table and sometimes in a restaurant where she could get away from family for a time.
Corriveau would become known in the field of science fiction, but the earliest of her some fifteen books were in other fields. She published her first book, Le Secret de vanille (Vanille’s secret) in 1959. Her second came out in 1963, and both won awards in the field of children’s literature. She followed them with Le Wapiti (1964), a historical novel which also won awards for youth literature. Max, published in 1965, did show an interest in science but was basically a spy mystery. Le Maître de Messire, published the same year, won Quebec’s premier literary award for youth fiction.
In 1969, Corriveau published an adult novel, Le Témoin (the witness), but soon returned to juvenile fiction. It was not until the 1970’s that she began publishing stories in the science fiction genre. Some of her SF work was not published until after her death. Her first published SF story was “Patrick and Sophie Take a Rocket” (1975), in which her characters travel not only through space but time, back to the year 1380 and the Gaspe peninsula before the coming of Europeans.
Her desire for a simpler and more pastoral setting was reflected even more strongly in her Compagnon du soleil trilogy, published in 1976 and aimed at adult as well as young readers. The tale is set in a fictional city which relies on forced regimentation to handle its population problem; its people live on shifts, half during the day and half at night. The city is run by administrators who rely on a master computer. The story contrasts this technological city with a more rural neighbor, and ends with preparations for a revolution which will eventually overthrow the more tyrannical urban culture.
Corriveau was diagnosed with cancer in 1974, and worked to complete her trilogy while she could. Actual publication came after her death on June 29, 1976. Other works also came out following her death, and additional honors for her juvenile fiction followed as well. She had an early goal of writing a book to dedicate to each of her ten children. Compagnon du soleil was the only one she judged to be complex enough to dedicate to her husband. Her work has been honored by having both a street and a library, built in 1968 and located in the Sainte- Foy-Sillery district, named for her.