NOV 28, 2011

TRANSLATION

Donald Winkler's translation into English of Partita for Glenn Gould, Georges Leroux's wide-ranging and luminous appreciation of the great pianist, has been awarded the 2011 Governor General's Literary Award for French to English translation.

Here is the Governor General's Award citation: "Georges Leroux's brilliant essay shines with the musicality of language that reflects Gould's life and creative discovery. Winkler expresses the depth of feeling and baroque complexity of the original text with impressive sensitivity, dexterity and precision. A masterful performance, at once learned and lyrical, it is a tour de force."

The book was also a finalist for the Quebec Writers' Federation's Cole Foundation Prize for Translation.

Here is a review of the book, which includes a comment on the translation.

In the works: the translation of playright Jean-Claude Germain's Montreal childhood memoirs from the 1940s: Rue Fabre, centre de l'univers (Fabre Street, Centre of the Universe). To be published by Véhicule Press. Also, Pierre Nepveu's collection of poetry, Les verbes majeurs (The Major Verbs).

FILM

Margaret & Evergon was awarded an Honourable Mention at the 2011 Image+Nation film festival in Montreal for "the inspiring contribution of the main character, Margaret Lunt, an open mother, generous and daring, who has courageously supported an entire generation of gay men and drag queens in Niagara Falls."

See a review of the film by Marianne Ackerman in RoverArts: "A many-sided gem of a film, not to be missed."

See a short hallway interview with director Donald Winkler, filmed at the CBC in May, 2011 on the occasion of the film's first Montreal screening.

Read a piece on the film by Matthew Hays in the Montreal Mirror.

Here is a short clip from the film.

And below is a short description of the film:

In 1999, the celebrated Montreal photographer Evergon took a remarkable series of nude portraits of his own mother, then 80 years old. The photographs were instantly recognized as a singular achievement: the black and white images embodied not the infirmities of old age, but a timeless strength, dignity, even majesty.

In 2007 Margaret Lunt left her long-time home in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and moved to Montreal to live with her son. It was shortly afterwards that filmmaker Donald Winkler embarked on a project that would explore what lay behind that series of photographs, uncovering in the process a poignant family history, a woman's determination to be her own person, and a unique and inspiring relationship beween mother and son. The result... is Margaret & Evergon.