Canadian Heritage committee  A little earlier, I was pointing out that, for a modest amount of money, these programs facilitate travel by writers—in the case of PromArt—concurrently with other provincial government programs. Publishers assume the financial risks of taking writers abroad, but will now have to find new sources of funding if they wish to continue to do so.

Canadian Heritage committee  The ratio is usually about one to three.

Canadian Heritage committee  According to studies, 700 copies, on average, are sold in Quebec of books written by Quebec authors. When 2,000 copies are sold, we are talking about a bestseller. That gives you an idea of how small the market is. When writers like Gaétan Soucy, who was the guest at the Paris Book Fair in 1999, or Gil Courtemanche, in 2001, are invited abroad and meet with publishers, it is an opportunity for them to be seen in other forums.

Canadian Heritage committee  It is more difficult for publishers to pay for their writers' travel. That assistance allowed publishers to take writers with them on promotional tours.

Canadian Heritage committee  These are shared-cost programs. PromArt and Trade Routes paid for plane tickets, but the publisher would defray the cost of their lodging while abroad.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes, it is a good thing, but the redistribution you referred to left holes in the budgets of certain parts of the industry. There is nothing new about programs being cancelled, but we now have to be told where we should go for assistance when we are planning a tour or need funding to host a writer or a foreign theatre company, for example.

Canadian Heritage committee  Well, we would have to multiply that number by a lot of different markets. At the present time, Gil Courtemanche has been translated into 26 different languages for a variety of markets. The book is considered an international bestseller. As you know, it was also turned into a film—a co-production with a foreign interest.

Canadian Heritage committee  There are the two authors I referred to earlier: Gil Courtemanche and Gaétan Soucy. That is what happened to them. I could also talk about Yves Beauchemin, Marie Laberge or Arlette Cousture. They have written books that have travelled around the world.

Canadian Heritage committee  In Quebec, about 30,000 copies.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes, I do. These small amounts of money are vital in all the different disciplines, whether we are talking about theatre, dance or literature. That is particularly true for literature. As for the programs we are discussing now, literature was affected little, but the role of these programs was critical.

Canadian Heritage committee  Well, as I was saying, writers are affected in so far as their publishers secure invitations to book fairs or launches, where there is a translation agreement in place. It is in that respect that PromArt, for example, could benefit a writer, because he or she would have his travel expenses paid to attend an event such as—and here, I am thinking of Gil Courtemanche or Gaétan Soucy—the launch of his book in foreign language translation.

Canadian Heritage committee  Reciprocity is such that, when foreign writers come here, their cultural diplomacy service is the one that sends them. The example that comes to mind is France, which is a very significant partner for the Quebec publishing industry. When book fairs are held in Montreal or elsewhere in the province, writers are often invited to attend through the French cultural service.

Canadian Heritage committee  Mr. Chairman--

Canadian Heritage committee  Mr. Chairman, no offence taken. Ladies and gentlemen members of the committee, I would like to begin by thanking you for this opportunity to speak today on behalf of the Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois, in my capacity as president of the organization first elected in December 2004 in the first of three consecutive mandates.