Réjean Ducharme

Réjean Ducharme (August 12, 1941 – August 21, 2017) was a Canadian novelist and playwright who resided in Montreal. He was known for his reclusive personality and has not appeared at any public functions since his first successful book was published in 1966. A common theme of his early work is the rejection of the adult world by children. L'Avalée des avalés (The Swallower Swallowed), Ducharme's first novel, was short-listed for the 1966 Prix Goncourt even though the author was only 24 years old and unknown. That same year, the book won the 1966 Governor General's Award for Poetry or Drama (Poésie et théâtre). L'Avalée des avalés later won the 2005 French version of Canada Reads, where it was defended by actress Sophie Cadieux. In the 1992 movie Léolo, the main character spends much of his time reading and thinking about L'Avalée des avalés. In 2017, Ducharme died of natural cause at age 76 in Montreal.