Kuessipan by Naomi Fontaine, championed by Ghislain Picard, wins Combat national des livres
Published in French in 2011, the novel Kuessipan was translated by David Homel in 2013
Kuessipan by Naomi Fontaine championed by Innu politician and activist Ghislain Picard, has won the Combat national des livres 2025, after four days of debates on ICI Radio-Canada Première.
Kuessipan is a novel that tells the story of Native Innu people in the wilds of northeastern Quebec. With a poetic voice and a documentary-like eye, the title depicts a community of nomadic hunters and fishers, and of mothers with their children, enduring an often cruel reality with quiet dignity.
Picard, who headed the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) for more than 30 years, said about the novel: "What I've witnessed — and I know something about it — is that the Indigenous question has always been considered superfluous, barely touched upon, and I think that the book invites us to look at it in a very, very profound way."
Initially published in French in 2011, Kuessipan was translated by David Homel in 2013. The novel was also made into a film that was featured at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.
Fontaine is a member of the Innu Nation of Uashat. She is also the author of Manikanetish which was a finalist for a Governor General's Literary Award for French-language fiction and Radio Canada's Combat des livres 2019. Manikanetish is also available in English, translated by Luise von Flotow.
The debates took place from June 9-12, 2025. The show was moderated by Marie-Louise Arsenault, host of Radio-Canada's Tout peut arriver.
The final two contenders were Kuessipan and Baignades by Andrée A. Michaud, which was defended by comedian, author and host Mariana Mazza.
The eliminations were decided each day by an online public vote. On the final day of debates, Copps, Normand and Gould allied themselves with Picard against Mazza. Ultimately, Kuessipan won the online public vote that took place live during the show.
Each of the Combat national des livres contenders represented different regions of Canada. These regions are not official regions, but are geographical and metaphorical.
- Marianna Mazza, representing Quebec, defended Baignades by Andrée A. Michaud.
- Ghislain Picard, representing First Nations, Inuit and Métis nations, defended Kuessipan by Naomi Fontaine.
- Sheila Copps, representing Ontario, defended Welsford by Claude Guilmain.
- Alexis Normand, representing Western Canada, defended the French translation of Candace Savage's Strangers in the House titled Des inconnus sous mon toit, translated by Michel Saint-Germain
- Xénia Gould, representing the Atlantic region, defended Mayday by Dyane Léger
On June 13, ICI Radio-Canada Première will air a two-hour show with five young debaters from across Canada, all between the ages of 14-17 years old, who will each champion a YA book for the fifth edition of the Combat des livres jeunesse.
Last year, Emmanuelle Pierrot's debut novel, La version qui n'intéresse personne, won the Combat national des livres. The book was defended by frequent Radio-Canada collaborator David Thibodeau representing the Western Canada region.
