About
Louis Hémon was a French writer born in Brest in 1880. After studying law and oriental languages, he exiled himself to London in 1902, where he worked as a secretary and sports correspondent. In 1911, he emigrated to Canada and settled in Péribonka, Quebec, where he worked as a farm laborer. It was there that he wrote his most famous novel, Maria Chapdelaine, published posthumously. He died accidentally in 1913, without knowing the success of his work, which became a classic of Quebec literature and gained worldwide fame.
* 1880-10-12 — † 1913-07-08
Major works
- Maria Chapdelaine (1914)novel
- Colin-Maillard (1924)novel
- Battling Malone, pugiliste (1925)novel
- Monsieur Ripois et la Némésis (1950)novel
- Lettres à sa famille (1968)correspondence
Key milestones
- 1902Moves to London, where he lives for nearly nine years.
- 1912Settles in Péribonka, Quebec, and works as a farm laborer.
- 1913Dies accidentally in Chapleau, Ontario, struck by a train.
Themes
peasant lifeQuebecexilesportdestiny
Sources: museelh.ca · thecanadianencyclopedia.ca