Carolle Arsenault
Categories: Female Authors - Francophone Authors - Novelists - Acadian Coast - Southeast
Source: Author / auteure
Biography
Carolle Arsenault is from Richibucto, a small community nestled on the banks of the river bearing the same name. She attended high school at École Mgr-Marcel-François-Richard in Saint-Louis-de-Kent. After enrolling in the psychology program at the Université de Moncton in 1984, she switched to education two years later before going on to enjoy a 30-year career teaching teens Canadian and especially Acadian history.
Although she has always loved reading and dreamed about writing, it was not until 2012 that she finally found the courage to begin writing her first manuscript. Published in 2018, it was awarded the Prix France-Acadie prize the following year.
Now retired, she devotes her days to the many things she loves, notably walking, reading, the seashore, her children, Acadie, cycling, golfing, her husband, fishing, the sun, her friends, family and music… although certainly not in that order. And, of course, she loves to write.
No matter what, her greatest source of pride will always be her family, including her husband and their three sons.
How has New Brunswick influenced your work?
The Acadian villages of the 20th century provide a backdrop that is very charming in its simplicity. The inhabitants of these rural communities of that time had to do back-breaking work in order to survive. They had only very limited access to the new technologies which were common in the cities – technologies which dazzled them when they were introduced to them. I struggle to find more exotic scenes or places for my characters.
What is your favourite New Brunswick book, and why?
All of the novels of Antonine Maillet. That novelist impressed me so much. She still impresses me.
What do you consider to be the highlight of your career so far?
Un protestant dans le salon is my first novel. All the events that I have lived through since I wrote the words “THE END” have been very touching, but to go to Paris to accept the Prix France-Acadie literary award remains, without doubt, the highlight.
|
Literary Prizes |
|
|---|---|
| Prix France-Acadie - 2019 | In recognition of: Un protestant dans le salon |
|
Featured Publication |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Un protestant dans le salon (2018) |
Excerpt: Nous étions à peine sortis de notre cour que Juliette suppliait déjà Camille d'arrêter un instant. Elle sauta du camion et courut dans le jardin de Jacqueline à Stanislas, cette voisine fouineuse qui avait toujours le nez dans la fenêtre afin d'espionner les activités de notre maison pour faire un reportage exagéré à la paroisse au complet. Juliette sauta par-dessus plusieurs sillons, arracha un légume et revient au camion en sautillant. - Juliette ! - Ah ! arrête de faire la sainte nitouche. T'en as utilisé en masse toi-même. Avec son ongle, elle racla la betterave jusqu'à en arracher un peu de pelure et se graissa bien les lèvres d'un rouge écarlate. Elle se retourna ensuite en notre direction et nous souffla un baiser avant de s'esclaffer. - T'en veux un peu, Gabbie? |
|||
Find this author in the New Brunswick public libraries catalogue.
Source(s): Author.
