Tatouine
By Jean-Christophe Réhel, translated by Katherine Hastings and Peter McCambridge from the original French, Ce qu’on respire sur Tatouine.
On Tatouine Being Chosen
“When I was younger, there wasn’t a ton of books in the house. I discovered literature thanks to the libraries in my schools. In elementary school, stumbling upon La Courte Échelle books. Then, fiction novels in high school. My college library introduced me to poetry. Then, in the cities I moved to; I read books on art, history and mechanics. Books, I loved some, I hated some, I read a few and leafed through thousands. Each library has taught me something. Each library has taught me something. Each library has opened a door no bigger than a quarter in my head. Now I have loose change coming out of my mouth and ears, and I’m glad to be so rich in my head. It’s a real honour to be part of the One eRead Canada book club.”
Jean-Christophe Réhel (translated)
2023’s One eRead Canada initiative was Tatouine by Jean-Christophe Réhel, translated by Katherine Hastings and Peter McCambridge from the original French, Ce qu’on respire sur Tatouine.
Join Our Events with the Author and Translators!
We held two events celebrating this year’s book.
On April 19th, there was a wonderful discussion with the English translators, Katherine Hastings and Peter McCambridge, who were interviewed by Shelagh Rogers. Go to our Events page to view the recording. This event was held in English.
On April 25th, the author, Jean-Christophe Réhel was interviewed by Émilie Perreault. This event was in French. More information is available here.
About the Book
To whet your appetite, here’s a review of Tatouine:
“Réhel gives the reader a front-row seat to a baroque and often hilarious interiority – one that highlights the complexity and tragedy of the human condition, while playfully revealing the capacity of the human mind for turning the struggles of existence, large and small, into a source of amusement. […] In addition to the often-dark humour, Réhel has a poet’s eye for rhythm, repetition, and stark imagery that thankfully isn’t lost in the exceptional translation by Katherine Hastings and Peter McCambridge.”
For more information about the book and author, please check out the Discussion Guide that was collaborated on by library staff across the country.
Getting the Books
Please check your local Public Library for available copies of the book in print or digital format.
The French Audiobook is available from a special production of Radio-Canada’s OHdio, available now.
Accessible versions Tatouine are available in both French and English for people with print disabilities through the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) and the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS). Service québécois du livre (SQLA) also makes copies available for their subscribers.
CELA
French: https://celalibrary.ca/node/20674666
English: https://celalibrary.ca/node/24360036
NNELS
French: https://nnels.ca/fr/items/ce-quon-respire-sur-tatouine
English: https://nnels.ca/items/tatouine
