Cri de terre: Acadian Poetry Today

Sarah Grenier-Millette holds a master’s degree in literary studies from the Université du Québec à Montréal and a certificate in digital information management from the Université de Montréal. Specializing in the deployment of digital platforms dedicated to research and the promotion of multimedia archives, she joined the Festival Frye team in September 2024 as head of digital programming and of Discours/e: Catalogue numérique des littératures et cultures de l’Atlantique (Discourse: Digital Catalogue of Atlantic Literatures and Cultures).

A poet, filmmaker, and playwright, Paul Bossé was born in Moncton, New Brunswick, in 1971. After earning his bachelor’s degree in film from Concordia University in 1994, he embarked on a three-pronged artistic career: directing about ten films (including *Les sceaux d’Utrecht*), publishing five collections of poetry (the most recent being *Les démondeurs*), and writing six plays (including *Empreintes*). His poetic style often resembles documentary filmmaking. Many of Paul Bossé’s poems could almost pass for movie synopses or long takes. He has been described as an “Oulipian” (after the OuLiPo movement founded by Raymond Queneau in France). Paul Bossé draws much inspiration from the random scenes of real life that surround him. In his writing, he focuses heavily on language and rhythm. He doesn’t hesitate to use “chiac,” invent neologisms, borrow Latin words, and so on. And the rhythm that propels his words is that of jazz: Monk, Mingus, Coltrane.

Marc Chamberlain is an interdisciplinary artist who has been active in poetry for over a decade. He has participated in several poetry readings in Moncton and Caraquet, founded the journal Beûgle, and published his first art book in 2016: Fall from Graisse et autres correspondances. His approach, influenced by the Beat Generation, is one of the distinctive voices of contemporary Acadian poetry. He published Socialite with Éditions Perce-neige in 2024.

Xénia Gould (aka Chiquita Mére) is a multidisciplinary artist originally from Shédiac, the lobster capital of the world. Based in Montreal, she blends drag, performance, poetry, and humor to create a vibrant and accessible body of work, fueled by her love of the “chiac” dialect. In 2023, Xénia published Des fleurs comme moi (Prise de Parole); in 2025, she debuted her first solo theater show, Juste vide ton cœur; and she is also the co-creator of the web series Helpez-Moi, available on YouTube.

Born in Montreal, Émilie Turmel lives in Moncton, New Brunswick. She is the author of the poetry collections *Casse-gueules* (2018, René-Leynaud Prize, finalist for the Émile-Nelligan Prize), *Vanités* (2020, Louise-Labé Prize), and *Berceuses* (2023, finalist for the Émile-Nelligan Prize), all published by Éditions Poètes de brousse. A multidisciplinary poet, she has created and presented dozens of performances and public readings, in addition to participating in exhibitions and literary initiatives of all kinds. Some of her works have been translated into English, Spanish, and Romanian, and many have appeared in journals and anthologies in Canada, France, Colombia, Spain, and Romania.