Henriette Major

Canadian writer

Henriette Major (January 6, 1933 – November 17, 2006) was a Canadian writer living in Quebec.^[1]

She was born in Montreal and studied at the Institut pédagogique de Montréal. However, she soon discovered that she did not want to be a teacher. After becoming a mother, she began writing down stories that she told to her children so that she would remember them. She tried other occupations, including working as a researcher for radio and television, but finally decided to make a career of writing. Major wrote scripts for several television series, including La Boîte à surprise [fr] and L'Évangile en papier [fr] and two plays for Théâtre sans fil: Jeux de rêves and La couronne du destin. She published almost a thousand articles for various magazines,^[1] including Châtelaine and Maclean's,^[2] and about a hundred children's books in Quebec and France. In 1978, her television series Les boucaniers d'eau douce [fr] received the Prix des émissions éducatives. From 1976 to 1990, she was director for the Pour lire series for Les Éditions Héritage [fr]. Major also published several collections of songs: Chansons et rondes pour s'amuser, Chansons drôles, chansons folles, Chansons douces, chansons tendres and Le Tour du monde en chansons).^[3]^[1]

She died suddenly at home in Montreal at the age of 73.^[2]

The Prix littéraire Henriette-Major was created in her honour by the publishing house Dominique et Compagnie.^[3]

Selected works

Sources:^[1]^[3]

La surprise de dame Chenille (1970), received a prize from the Canadian Library Association in 1971
Les contes de Nulle part et d’Ailleurs (1975)
L'Évangile en papier (1978), received the Prix Alvine-Bélisle [fr]
François d’Assise (1981), about Saint Francis of Assisi
Marguerite Bourgeoys (1983)
La machine à rêves (1984)
Les devinettes d'Henriette (2004), received the Prix Québec-Wallonie-Bruxelles
Jongleries (2006), illustrations by Philippe Béha
La Sorcière et la Princesse

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Henriette Major" (in French). Communication-Jeunesse.
^ ^a ^b "Les enfants du Québec sont orphelins d'Henriette Major". Le Devoir (in French). November 18, 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Henriette Major nous quitte" (in French). Radio-Canada. November 17, 2006.