Like a Scandinavian buffet where ideas are discussed and exchanged, Place des Arts presents a series of talks about Printemps nordique.
Born in Reykjavik in 1962, Sjón is a famous Icelandic author. He won the Nordic Council Literary Prize (the equivalent of the Man Booker Prize in Nordic countries) for his novel The Blue Fox, and his novel From the Mouth of the Whale was among the finalists for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. The novel Moonstone – The Boy Who Never Was, received the Icelandic Literary Prize. His latest book, a trilogy entitled CoDex 1962, was published in Iceland in 2016 and was a great success. The latter will be released in English in the fall of 2018 by Farrar, Strauss & Giroux. As a poet, librettist and lyricist, he has published nine collections of poems, written four opera librettos, and lyrics for various artists. In 2001, he was nominated for an Oscar for his lyrics in the movie Dancer In The Dark. Sjón’s novels have been published in thirty-five languages. He is the president of the Icelandic PEN and lives in Reykjavik.
A renowned biologist and scientific communicator, Jean Lemire has conducted work on climate change and biodiversity that initiated major scientific missions. In 2001, he transformed a large oceanographic sailing yacht into a scientific research platform and production studio, which led him to travel the oceans in order to raise awareness of major environmental issues. In association with the Sedna Foundation, he has also designed many educational programs that have become references in the field of education over the years. Jean Lemire was appointed emissary for climate change and northern and Arctic issues by the Quebec government in September 2017, becoming the first emissary in the history of Quebec diplomacy.
Co-founder of Équiterre in 1994, Steven Guilbeault is now the spokesperson and principal director. He is interested in environmental issues and especially in climate change since the early 90s. In 2009, he was identified as one of 50 global players in sustainable development by the French magazine Le Monde. He has received numerous awards and distinctions.
