The Stiil Bookstore, in Montreal, opened in 2020 by Aude Le Dubé, a Breton, only offers books in English. Much to the chagrin of some…
The books in the window of this charming bookstore, on one of the bustling streets of Montreal’s Plateau district, seem harmless, like Time is a mother, from Ocean Vuong. But at the sight of them, the blood of Quebecers sometimes only turns: “Some people came in to tell me that books in English were provocation”, laughs Aude Le Dubé, owner of the Stil Bookstore.
This Frenchwoman, who has lived in the United States, novelist in her spare time – she was the first winner of the Grand Prix des Ecrivains bretons in 1996 -, opened her bookstore in 2020. For this passionate, surrounded by six French-speaking bookstores, promoting literature English speaking has imposed itself as an economic necessity, but also by “personal taste”. “French literature today is absolutely sad, regrets this admirer of Victor Hugo, and I remain convinced that all languages can coexist, especially in Montreal.”
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