Quartier des Spectacles in Montréal, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
La passion partagée de la littérature à la Librairie Tranquille
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 19, 2024
1. La passion partagée de la littérature à la Librairie Tranquille Marker
La passion d'Henri Tranquille pour la littérature ne s'arrête pas à la vente de livres. Il s'implique directement dans le processus créatif des nombreux jeunes auteurs et poètes qu'il rencontre à la librairie, relisant leurs œuvres et usant de ses contacts pour les faire publier. Au terme de sa carrière, Tranquille aura ainsi aidé de près ou de loin des centaines d'artistes de la littérature québécoise.
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• Carton d'invitation au lancement de Ville rouge aux éditions Tranquille, 1949.
• Toujours désireux de soutenir les auteurs émergents qu'il considère talentueux, Henri Tranquille les conseille, lit et révise leurs manuscrits et va jusqu'à les porter aux maisons d'édition ! En 1948, c'est grâce à Tranquille que l'écrivain Jean-Jules Richard (1911-1975) publie son premier roman, Neuf jours de haine. L'année suivante, Tranquille ajoute une corde à son arc : il se lance lui-même dans l'édition de livres. Les éditions Tranquille publieront deux œuvres, toutes deux de Richard.
• « Le bouquiniste est l'ami des bouquineurs », publicité parue dans le journal La Presse, le 11 décembre 1948, et conservée par Henri Tranquille qui l’avait encadrée pour l’exposer.
• Yves Beauchemin, L'enfirouapé, 1974, éditions La Presse, sous la direction d'Alain Stanké.
• Tranquille devient souvent l'intermédiaire entre des auteurs émergents et les maisons d'édition: en 1974, par exemple, l'écrivain Yves Beauchemin publie son premier roman L'enfirouapé grâce à l'influence du libraire qui présente le manuscrit à Alain Stanké.
The shared passion for literature at the Tranquille Bookstore
From its opening in 1948, the Tranquille bookstore became a meeting place for the Quebec Francophone literary community. Henri Tranquille had already been involved in this milieu for several years: authors, magazine editors, and publishers, who either visited the shop or were met through acquaintances, were part of this circle of regulars. They gathered for the many formal and informal events held at the bookstore, from book launches to literary discussions, as well as the spontaneous conversations that punctuated the store's daily routine. Discussions about literature often continued after closing time; the evenings would then end at the local tavern.
Henri Tranquille's passion for literature does not stop at selling books. He is directly involved in the creative process of the many young authors and poets he meets at the bookstore, rereading their works and using his contacts to get them published. By the end of his career, Tranquille will have thus helped, directly or indirectly, hundreds of artists in Quebec literature.
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• Invitation card for the launch of Red City at Tranquille Publishing, 1949.
• Always eager to support emerging authors he considers talented, Henri Tranquille advises them, reads and revises their manuscripts, and even goes as far as bringing them to publishing houses! In 1948, it was thanks to Tranquille that the writer Jean-Jules Richard (1911-1975) published his first novel, Nine Days of Hate. The following year, Tranquille added another string to his bow: he himself ventured into book publishing. Tranquille Publishing would publish two works, both by Richard.
• "The bookseller is the friend of book lovers," advertisement published in the newspaper La Presse on December 11, 1948, and preserved by Henri Tranquille, who had it framed for display.
• Yves Beauchemin, L'enfirouapé, 1974, La Presse editions, under the direction of Alain Stanké.
• Tranquille often becomes the intermediary between emerging authors and publishing houses. In 1974, for example, the writer Yves Beauchemin published his first novel L'enfirouapé thanks to the influence of the bookseller who presented the manuscript to Alain Stanké.
Topics.
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Location. 45° 30.571′ N, 73° 33.876′ W. Marker is in Montréal, Québec. It is in Quartier des Spectacles. It can be reached from the intersection of Rue Clark and Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, on the left when traveling west. The marker is near the northeast corner of Esplanade Tranquille. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1442 Rue Clark, Montréal QC H2X 2R3, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: L'avant-garde artistique au rendez-vous Chez Tranquille (here, next to this marker); La Librairie Tranquille (here, next to this marker); Henri Tranquille (here, next to this marker); Esplanade Tranquille
MEM Collection
2. Marker detail: Lancement du livre Ville rouge /
Lauch of the book Red City
Lauch of the book Red City
Jean-Jules Richard dédicace son livre a Guy Lefebvre sous l’œil attentif d’Henri Tranquille (à gauche), en 1949.
[English translation] Jean-Jules Richard signs his book for Guy Lefebvre under the watchful eye of Henri Tranquille (on the left), in 1949.
[English translation] Jean-Jules Richard signs his book for Guy Lefebvre under the watchful eye of Henri Tranquille (on the left), in 1949.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Esplanade Tranquille
Also see . . . Le libraire Henri Tranquille (Radio Canada).
Excerpt : « En somme, la lecture, c’est la conversation, selon moi, la plus importante qui existe. » Henri Tranquille, libraire de 1937 à 1975, a marqué le paysage culturel et politique québécois.(Submitted on May 28, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)[English translation] “In short, reading is, in my opinion, the most important conversation that exists.” Henri Tranquille, bookseller from 1937 to 1975, left his mark on the cultural and political landscape of Quebec.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 19, 2024
3. La passion partagée de la littérature à la Librairie Tranquille Marker
Looking west through Esplanade Tranquille. Rue Clark is in the right background.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 28, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
