Gaétan Soucy

Gaétan Soucy (born in 1958 at Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a novelist and professor.

Soucy studied physics at University of Montreal, completed a Master's degree in philosophy, and studied Japanese language and literature at McGill University.

Soucy has written three novels. His two first novels, L'Immaculée conception (translated as The Immaculate Conception) and L'Acquittement (translated as Atonement) are extraordinary, dark and baroque works. His third novel, La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes (translated as The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches) caused a sensation in Quebec and was immediately translated into more than ten languages. It was translated into English by Sheila Fischman.

La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes was chosen for inclusion in the French version of Canada Reads, broadcast on Radio-Canada in 2004, where it was defended by actor, film director, screenwriter, and musician Micheline Lanctôt.

Awards and recognition

• Nominated for the Prix Renaudot, for La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes
• Prix Ringuet de l'Académie des lettres du Québec, for La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes
• Prix du grand public La Presse/Salon du livre de Montréal, for La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes

Bibliography

• L'Immaculée conception (1994) (translated as The Immaculate Conception)
• L'Acquittement (1997) (translated as Atonement)
• La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes (2000) (translated as The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches)