Canada's highest literary prize recognizes Dr. Sylvie Bérard's creative and intellectual mastery in translating between languages, time periods and worlds
One of Canada's highest literary distinctions, the Governor General's Literary Award for Translation, has been awarded to Dr. Sylvie Bérard, chair of French and Francophone Studies at Trent University, for her translation of The Tiger Flu by Larissa Lai, a science fiction novel reimagined in French as Les Sœurs de la Muée.
"Sylvie exemplifies the intellectual and creative excellence that is fostered at Trent," said Dr. Cathy Bruce, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. "Her achievement reflects the power of language and imagination to connect cultures and ideas, a remarkable contribution to Canada's bilingual and literary landscape."
A work of transcreation
The Governor General's Literary Awards, presented annually by the Canada Council for the Arts, celebrate the best in Canadian literature across seven categories in both English and French. Professor Bérard shares the award for translation (English to French) with her partner and long-time collaborator, Suzanne Grenier, marking the duo's eighth translated work together.
The peer assessment committee described their work as a "captivating translation with toe-curling inventiveness. By mixing pop culture references with imaginary elements, the translators offer up a living mosaic, a unique window into a dystopian world shot through with possibility. This work is a bold and remarkable exercise in adaptation and transcreation."
"I feel like I am floating on a cloud. To be seen and heard by peers at this level is profoundly affirming," said Prof. Bérard. "It also gives this wonderful book and its ideas a new life and visibility in French. The universe created by Larissa Lai in The Tiger Flu is quite unique, so this is the kind of translation that really benefits from teamwork."
An accomplished science fiction writer and scholar, this is Prof. Bérard's second nomination for the Governor General's Literary Award for Translation. She received her first nomination for her translation of another Larissa Lai novel, Salt Fish Girl (Le fruit de la puanteur). She is also the recipient of a Trillium Book Award for Poetry in 2018 and a Trillium Book Award nomination in 2021, further solidifying her standing among Canada's most versatile literary voices.
The award-winning translation, completed over two years, required both scholarly research and artistic creation. Set 120 years in the future, Les Sœurs de la Muée demanded the creation of new terms, including the noun "Muée" in the translation's title, and cultural references that feel authentic to French readers while remaining faithful to the English original.
"When you translate science fiction, you don't just translate the words. You translate the history of ideas, the imagined future, and the nuance of worlds that another writer has created," said Prof. Bérard. "Translation is about recreating an entire universe so that readers in another language can inhabit it naturally. We don't want people to feel like they are reading a translation. We want people to feel like they are reading a great book, and that requires a love for the work that you're translating and needing to immerse yourself in the author's original work."
Learning between language and literature
Beyond her literary achievements, Prof. Bérard brings her expertise in translation, gender, and creative writing to Trent's academic learning environment.
"In our French Studies programs, students learn how language shapes how we see the world," she said. "Studying languages teaches us humility. There's never just one way to say something or to think about something."
Students studying alongside Prof. Bérard are inspired to explore language beyond communication. They learn language as crystallization of culture through courses specifically on translation, as well as Indigenous voices in francophone contexts, Franco-Ontarian literature and science fiction.
"Studying language and translation teaches students critical thinking and different ways of understanding diversity, identity and one another. With a better understanding of words and their scope, people have a better grasp of nuance and become more culturally aware citizens," said Prof. Bérard. "They often go on to work in the civil service or in education, bringing with them comprehensive views of what it means to be a Canadian citizen and to connect with people from different cultures."
Learn more about French Studies and the new French & Canadian Studies programs at Trent University.
About the Governor General's Literary Awards
Established in 1936, the Governor General's Literary Awards are among Canada's oldest and most prestigious literary honours, celebrating the nation's best books in both official languages. The Canada Council for the Arts has funded, administered and promoted these awards since 1959. Finalists are selected by category-specific, language-based peer assessment committees (seven in English and seven in French). The writers, translators and illustrators whose books are selected as the winner in each category receive a $25,000 prize.
