SASKATCHEWAN’S FRANCOPHONE PUBLISHING HOUSE SIGNS ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL BOOK DEAL IN GERMANY
On the eve of its 35th Anniversary, Saskatchewan’s only Francophone publishing house, La nouvelle plume (ÉNP), is pleased to announce its first international book rights sale.
Berlin publisher MONS Verlag will translate, produce and distribute a German version of Hommage au bison, une légende des Cris de Plaines.
The book, written by Judith Silverthorne and the late Ray Lavallee, and illustrated by Mike Keepness, was originally published in English in 2014 by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing of Regina under the title Honouring the Buffalo, A Plains Cree Legend. It was translated into French for ENP by Martine Noël-Maw.
Last October, Ms. Noël-Maw represented ENP as part of the first exploratory mission of by Canada’s francophone publishers’ organization, Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens (REFC), at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. The Frankfurt Book Fair is the largest of its kind in the world, and that’s where Ms. Noël-Maw established contact with MONS Verlag.
“When I showed them the picture book Hommage au bison, une légende des Cris de Plaines , MONS representatives immediately expressed their interest.” After completing negotiations, an agreement was signed was signed between ÉNP and MONS Verlag on December 26, 2018.
Laurier Gareau, ENP’s president was equally excited. “This first foray in the European market follows a deal with Ingram Lightning Source in the USA. It falls into our strategy of developing new markets and new platforms for our books, published in French, in Saskatchewan,” Gareau said. He added ENP plans to participate again at the Frankfurt Fair in 2019 and in 2020, the year when Canadian literature will be showcased at the event.
The presence of ÉNP at the Frankfurt Book Fair was made possible thanks to the financial support from REFC and Creative Saskatchewan.
For more information contact:
Laurier Gareau, President, La nouvelle plume, 306-543-7821
