Émile Martel (writer)

Émile Martel OC (August 10, 1941 – November 22, 2023) was a Canadian diplomat and writer who won the Governor General's Award for French-language poetry in 1995 for his poetry collection Pour orchestre et poète seul.^[1]

Émile Martel OC
Born	(1941-08-10)August 10, 1941 Amos, Quebec, Canada
Died	November 22, 2023(2023-11-22) (aged 82)
Occupation	Poet, short story writer
Period	1960s–1990s
Notable works	Pour orchestre et poète seul
Relatives	Yann Martel (son) Réginald Martel [fr] (brother)

Life and career

Martel was born in Amos, Quebec on August 10, 1941.^[1] Educated at the University of Ottawa, Université Laval and the University of Salamanca,^[2] he taught French and Spanish literature in Canada and the United States before joining Canada's Department of External Affairs as a diplomat.^[2] He published both poetry and short stories.

Martel died on November 22, 2023, at the age of 82.^[3][4] He was the father of Canadian novelist Yann Martel^[5] and the brother of Réginald Martel [fr].

Works

• Les enfances brisées (1969)
• L'ombre du silence (1974)
• Les gants jetés (1977)
• Dictionnaire de cristal
• Pour orchestre et poète seul (1995)
  • English translation by D. G. Jones, For Orchestra and Solo Poet (1996)
• Translation of Life of Pi into French: Histoire de Pi (2003), with Nicole Perron