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Which works marked the beginning of French Canadian publishing in the 1830s?
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Canadian literature
Canadian writer Alice Munro was lauded as a âmaster of the contemporary short storyâ by the Swedish Academy when it awarded her the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013.
The publication of French Canadian literature within Canada began in the 1830s, marking a significant shift from the colonial era when works were published exclusively in France.12
Key works that signaled the start of this literary development include:
- Poetry: The first collection of verse, ĂpĂźtres, satires, chansons, Ă©pigrammes, et autres piĂšces de vers ("Epistles, Satires, Songs, Epigrams, and Other Pieces of Verse") by Michel Bibaud, was published in 1830.1
- Fiction: The first novel, LâInfluence dâun livre ("Influence of a Book") by Philippe-Ignace-François Aubert de GaspĂ©, appeared in 1837.1
- Drama: The comedy Griphon; ou, la vengeance dâun valet (1837; "Gryphon; or, The Vengeance of a Valet") by Pierre Petitclair was the first play published by a native-born French Canadian.1
These publications were driven by a growing sense of national identity and the gradual organization of secondary education, reflecting the cultural evolution of the period.1