Le Combat national des livres de Radio-Canada 2023

Le Combat national des livres is back this year for 4 days of debates that will allow 5 champions to discuss five books and determine the winning book on Radio-Canada. Listeners are invited to vote (often!) for their favourite book. Le Combat features books from different regions: Indigenous territories, the Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario and the West. It is a great opportunity to discover francophone authors from across the country.
 

Day 4, Thursday 18 May 2023

Big upset tonight! Two books are eliminated from the start following the popular vote, leaving only Rivière-aux-cartouches (now defended by Gabriel Robichaud and Patricia Bitu Tshikudi) and L'incendiaire de Sudbury (Xavier Watso and Gilles Renaud join Brigitte Noël). The champions debate which of these two books written by emerging Franco-Canadian poets will go down in history... In the end, Rivière-aux-cartouches wins Le Combat!

1st position: Rivière-aux-cartouches, Sébastien Bérubé (Atlantic)
2nd position: L'incendiaire de Sudbury, Chloé LaDuchesse (Ontario) ELIMINATED
 

Day 3, Wednesday 17 May 2023

On Wednesday, the book champions all tried to highlight the originality of their respective book and the interest of the plot. The book in fifth place in the popular vote was eliminated and Patricia Bitu Tshikudi, who was defending it, rallied to the book Rivière-aux-cartouches. To be continued!

1st position: Nous étions le sel de la mer, Roxanne Bouchard (Québec)
2nd position: L'incendiaire de Sudbury, Chloé LaDuchesse (Ontario)
3rd position: Rivière-aux-cartouches, Sébastien Bérubé (Atlantic)
4th position: Le baiser de Nanabush, Drew Hayden Taylor (Indigenous Territories)
5th position: Le radeau, Jean-Pierre Dubé (Western Canada) ELIMINATED
 

Day 2, Tuesday 16 May 2023

Last night, the debate started to get heated and passions were revealed! Our book champions discussed the merits of the different characters and the quality of the writing of the five books. No book has been eliminated yet, but alliances are forming. The popular vote (apparently very close!) was as follows:

1st position: Nous étions le sel de la mer, Roxanne Bouchard (Québec)
2nd position: L'incendiaire de Sudbury, Chloé LaDuchesse (Ontario)
3rd position: Rivière-aux-cartouches, Sébastien Bérubé (Atlantic)
4th position: Le baiser de Nanabush, Drew Hayden Taylor (Indigenous Territories)
5th position: Le radeau, Jean-Pierre Dubé (Western Canada)

There's still time to vote for your favorite book! (Vote here!)
 

Day 1, Monday 15 May 2023

On the first night of Le Combat on Monday night, the five champions -- Xavier Watso (Indigenous Territories), Brigitte Noël (Ontario), Gabriel Robichaud (Atlantic), Patricia Bitu Tshikudi (Western Canada), Gilles Renaud (Québec) -- presented their books and made their initial arguments. This dynamic conversation, moderated by Marie-Louise Arsenault, introduces people to complex books and fascinating regions. Stay tuned!  

If you want to know more about the history of Le Combat (link in French only): La petite histoire du Combat des livres | Radio-Canada.ca