The Salon du livre du Niagara helps us reconnect with the child in us

ALEXIA GROUSSON

For a second year in a row, Sofifran presented the Salon du livre Francophone du Niagara (SAFRAN) from March 21 to 24 at Brock University in St. Catharines. The theme of this literary event was “The Contradictions of Being”, inspired by Paul Valéry’s words: “Our contradictions are the very substance of the activity of our mind.”

As a preview, and to mark World Puppetry Day, the Maison de la culture francophone du Niagara (MCFN) invited the Quebec company Le chemin qui marche, which specializes in puppetry through short, wordless tabletop pieces. They presented two of their shows, Inukshuk and Arbre, at the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre.

“Object theatre, often called the 11th art, is not well known in our region. It was the perfect chance to showcase it and to open up new horizons for participants by giving them access to a rich cultural experience. Our bond with nature and with raw materials differs from one culture to another, but the power of art is that it brings us together, francophones and francophiles alike, as one united community,” says Stéphanie Filippi, president of the MCFN.

SAFRAN was divided into several categories: workshops, round tables, discussions, a publishers’ fair, storytelling sessions and staged readings.

Workshops, discussions and readings

Many workshops were designed for young people. They covered subjects such as building robots and drones, or the geography of the Great Lakes of America compared with those of Africa. Khadydja Ndoye, author of Le Monde de Sabbih, led interactive STEM activities for youth. Her book follows young Sabbih, who wants to become a robotics engineer.

The intergenerational creative workshops, organized by Mélina Seymour and Chloé Gardel, were built around subjects such as artificial intelligence, technology and Afro-culturalism. Finally, a writers’ workshop was held with Paul Savoie, honorary president of the fair, and Nicholas Hauck. About ten writers took part.

The discussions were grouped into categories. The round tables explored different subjects tied to the main theme.

“We looked at several contradictions in writing. For example, we tried to understand old and modern stories from different points of view, and we talked about the perspectives of a historian, a writer and a reader, as well as the differences created by where we are and by the time we live in. Someone in medieval Europe will not see history the same way as someone in Africa in the 2000s,” explains Nafée Faîgou, president of SAFRAN.

Other contradictions also came up, such as hope and despair, body and mind, or nature and plastic.

Two major discussions were also held, one on Friday and one on Saturday. The first, led by Fété Kimpiobi, executive director of Sofifran, looked at the many faces of the Francophonie in Ontario.

The second, led by Ms. Faîgou, focused on believing in yourself and in others.

A children’s storytelling session with riddles took place on Sunday with Karim Sigéré, Papa raconte, Fété Kimpiobi and Nyote. A staged reading was held on Sunday with Gaton Mabaya, Kalambayi Kalula, Aristote Kavungu and Amadou Ba.

A publishers’ fair was also held every day. Publishers had the chance to show their books, talk with visitors and share their vision of the writing world.

“This fair was wonderful. For a few days, we reconnected with the child in us. The artists, writers, illustrators, publishers, booksellers, teachers and participants were fabulous,” concludes Nafée Faîgou.