The Frye Festival

Northrop Frye, for whom the festival is named, in 1984

The Frye Festival, formerly known as the Northrop Frye International Literary Festival, is a bilingual (French and English) literary festival held in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada in April of each year. The Festival began in 2000 and is the only festival in the world to honour noted literary critic Herman Northrop Frye (1912 – 1991) who spent his formative years in Moncton, graduating from Aberdeen High School.

Invited participants of the Frye Festival include not only noted Frye scholars, such as Robert D. Denham, Alvin Lee, Michael Dolzani, Jean O'Grady, and Caterina Nella Cotrupi, but also top literary talent from around the world, as well as regional talent. Russell Banks, Marie-Claire Blais, Neil Bissoondath, Robert Bly, Patrick Chamoiseau, Catherine Cusset, John Dufresne, Richard Ford, Nikki Gemmell, Douglas Glover, Ursula Hegi, Nancy Huston, Witi Ihimaera, Dennis Lee, Alberto Manguel, Yann Martel, Nino Ricci, David Adams Richards, and Bernhard Schlink are among the authors to have appeared during the Festival.

The Frye Symposium Lecture and The Antonine Maillet - Northrop Frye Lecture

Two separate series of lectures take place during the Frye Festival. The Antonine Maillet - Northrop Frye Lecture began in 2006 with Neil Bissoondath, and has since been followed by David Adams Richards in 2007 and Alberto Manguel in 2008, Monique LaRue in 2009 and Noah Richler in 2010 and Margaret Atwood in 2011.

The Frye Symposium Lecture began during the first Festival and continues today. In 2000 David Staines delivered the lecture, followed by Branko Gorjup in 2001, Caterina Nella Cotrupi in 2002. In 2003 there were two Frye Symposium Lectures, one in English by Robert Denham and one in French by Naim Kattan. In 2004 there were also two lectures, both in English, one by John Ayre and one by Michael Dolzani. In 2005 there were two lectures, one by Alvin Lee and one by B. W. Powe. In 2006, the first year of the Maillet-Frye series, the was no Frye Symposium Lecture, but the lecture returned in 2007 when there were again two Frye Symposium Lectures, one by Jean O'Grady and one by Robert Denham. In 2008 there was one lecture, by Glenna Sloan.

The two lecture series are quite separate, with one featuring a well-known writer/thinker, and the other featuring a noted Frye scholar.

A Brief History of the Frye Festival

Northrop Frye's presence has always been felt in Moncton. Whether it was as a young boy, riding along the streets of Moncton on his bicycle, or upon his last visit to Moncton when many people came to hear him speak, he has left an indelible mark on the city.

In November of 1990, at the invitation of Professor Serge Morin, Northrop Frye returned to Moncton to deliver the Pascal Poirier Lecture at the Université de Moncton. During his stay he had the chance to meet and talk with many Monctonians, and he was able to visit his old home and the grave of his mother in Elmwood Cemetery. 'They were two of the best days of my life,' he reported to fellow Monctonian, Reuben Cohen. The following year, after Frye's death in January 1991, The Northrop Frye Society hosted a gathering of Frye-ites, and John Ayre, Frye's biographer, delivered the Pascal Poirier Lecture.

In 1997 the City of Moncton, under the chairmanship of Paulette Theriault, developed an Arts Policy. As part of this policy it was recommended that the city have a festival to honour Northrop Frye. But it wasn't until December 1998, during the production of a Vision TV documentary in Moncton, that the real seeds of today's Frye Festival were sown.

During this television production entitled "Voices of Vision", John Ralston Saul and Antonine Maillet engaged in a one-hour dialogue about creativity, in both official languages. For festival visionary and founder, Paulette Thériault, more than any other event, this event filmed at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre sparked her imagination and made her believe that a bilingual literary festival, celebrating a great man, a vibrant cultural community and highlighting Atlantic and Acadian authors, was a possibility.

In its first year more than 3,000 people attended the Festival. In 2011 more than 15,000 people attended. The Frye Festival has become one of the major literary events in Canada, and continues to grow every year. More than 350 award-winning authors, from every continent and recipients of almost every major international literary prize, have now attended the Festival. The Festival is the proud recipient of the 2005 Lieutenant-Governor’s Dialogue Award, the 2007 Éloize for Event of the Year and the 2009 TD Canada Trust Arts Organization of the Year by the New Brunswick Foundation for the Arts.

The Frye Festival is Canada's only bilingual, international literary festival, the largest literary happening in Atlantic Canada and is the only festival in the world to honour Northrop Frye.

Participating authors

The complete list of participating authors as of November 2011:

José Acquelin Emmanuel Adely Christine Adjahi Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm André Alexis Barry Jean Ancelet Marguerite Andersen Tammy Armstrong Marc Arseneau Guy Arsenault Margaret Atwood Donna Augustine John Ayre Russell Banks Francois Barcelo Jean Barbe Brian Bartlett Jean-Claude Bauer Nancy Bauer Marie-Noëlle Bayle Gwen Bear Shirley Bear Jimmy Beaulieu Andrea Beck Carolyn Beck Helaine Becker Gerard Beirne Alain M. Bergeron Jacob Berkowitz Sophie Bérubé Lise Bissonnette Neil Bissoondath Joe Blades Marie-Claire Blais Louise Blouin Robert Bly Christian Bok Paul Bossé Denis Boucher Sophie Boucher Édith Bourget Huguette Bourgeois Denise Brassard Yvon Brochu Ian Brown Heather Browne Prince Christian Brun Régis Brun Carol Bruneau Catherine Bush Sharon Butala Laura Byrne Paquet Marie Cadieux Jonathan Campbell Katia Canciani Reynald Cantin Roch Carrier Arnaud Cathrine France Cayouette Patrick Chamoiseau Éric Charlebois Ann Charney Herménégilde Chiasson Lesley Choyce Joan Clark Austin Clarke George Elliott Clarke Deborah J. Clifton Lynn Coady Fred Cogswell Fredric Gary Comeau Germaine Comeau Marie-France Comeau Anne Compton Christy Ann Conlin Geoffrey Cook Greg Cook Allan Cooper Kelly Cooper Ann Copeland Éric Cormier Caterina Nella Cotrupi Gil Courtemanche Arlette Cousture Gracia Couturier Michael Crummey Alan Cumyn Herb Curtis Wayne Curtis Catherine Cusset Myriam Cyr Antonio D’Alfonso France Daigle Nicole Daigle Mary Dalton Jean-Paul Daoust Carole David Karen Davidson Lynn Davies Kwame Dawes Monique Deland Jean-Christophe Delmeule Dominique Demers Robert Denham Patrice Desbiens Louise Desjardins Thierry Desjardins Rose Després Hélène Destrempes Nuala ní Dhomhnaill Nicolas Dickner Robert Dickson Philippe Di Folco Richard Doiron Michael Dolzani Jeffery Donaldson Stewart Donovan Hélène Dorion Jean-Pierre Dubé Alain Dubos John Dufresne Daniel Dugas Marilyn Dumont Christiane Duchesne Christine Eddie Wallace Edwards Bernice Eisenstein Jo-Anne Elder Elin Elgaard Françoise Enguehard Cary Fagan Endre Farkas George Fetherling Nadine Fidji Louise Fiset Sheree Fitch Charles Foran Richard Ford Léonard Forest Jean Fugère Madeleine Gagnon Melvin Gallant Steven Galloway Maurizio Gatti Guy Gavriel Kay Nikki Gemmell Sharon Gibson Palermo Mylène Gilbert-Dumas Glen Robert Gill Rachna (Mara) Gilmore Brigitte Giraud Douglas Glover Carlos Gomes Lian Goodall Branko Gorjup Gilles Gougeon Susan Goyette Shauntay Grant François Gravel Annie Groovie Emma Haché Rawi Hage Louise Bernice Halfe Judith Hamel Louis Hamelin Don Hannah Hélène Harbec Doug Harris Brigitte Harrison Donald Harron Ursula Hegi David Helwig Rainer Hempel Nancy Huston Laurence Hutchman Joel Thomas Hynes Maureen Hynes Witi Ihimaera Monique Ilboudo Elisapie Isaac Martine L. Jacquot Alexandre Jardin Mark Anthony Jarman Alain Jaubert K.V. Johansen Wayne Johnston Susan Juby Monique Juteau Jonathan Kaplansky Naïm Kattan Lynne Kositsky Dany Laferrière Michèle Laframboise Ulysse Landry M. Travis Lane Patrick Lane Carole Langille Monique LaRue Martine Latulippe Charles Leblanc Daniel Omer LeBlanc Georgette LeBlanc Gérald Leblanc Raymond Guy LeBlanc Emerise LeBlanc-Nowlan Claude LeBouthillier Ross Leckie Rachel Leclerc Sandra LeCouteur Alvin Lee Dennis Lee Diane Carmel Léger Dyane Léger Ronald Léger André Lemelen Richard Lemm Marilyn Lerch Gilles Leroy J. Roger Léveillé Susanna Licheri Christopher Lirette Troy Little Lesley Livingston Douglas Lochhead David Lonergan Larry Lynch Annabel Lyon Kathy Mac Anne Louise MacDonald David Macfarlane Linden MacIntyre John MacKenzie Brent MacLaine Alexander MacLeod Alistair MacLeod Sue MacLeod Matthew Magee Antonine Maillet Marguerite Maillet Kevin Major Alberto Manguel Roberto Mann Guy Marchamps Michèle Marineau Paul Marion Lindsay Marshall Catherine Anne Martin Raymond Martin Sandra Martin Sharon McCartney Elaine McCluskey Jennifer McGrath Kent Ami McKay Don McKay Phyllis McKinley Catherine McKinnon Wesley McNair Janet McNaughton John Meagher Johanne Mercier Rita Mestokosho Annie Michaud Mildred Milliea Allison Mitcham Shandi Mitchell Fereshteh Molavi Hélène Monette Lisa Moore Robert Moore Cindy Morais Donna Morrissey Wendy Morton André Muise Jenny Munday Cathy Brown Murphy Glenn Murray Derlemari Nébardoum Gitpu Nevin Lorette Nobécourt Michel Noël Jean O'Grady Heather O’Neill Kenneth Oppel Albert Ostermaier Denise Paquette Daniel Paul Stanley Péan Harvey Pekar Charles Pelletier Maryse Pelletier Pierre Raphaël Pelletier Bryan Perro Emily Pohl-Weary Marc Joseph Edgar Poirier Simone Poirier-Bures Daniel Poliquin Andrée Poulin B. W. Powe Beth Powning Bernard Pozier Marc Prescott Monique Proulx Stefan Psenak Theresia Quigley Michel Rabagliati Jean-Philippe Raîche Alain Raimbault Jacques Rancourt Robert Rayner Kathy Reichs Alice Anna Reese Nino Ricci Nancy Wilcox Richards Noah Richler Sylvie Roberge Christian Roy Maryse Rouy Zachary Richard David Adams Richards Eden Robinson Matt Robinson Rino Morin Rossignol Paul Roux Albert Roy André Roy Camilien Roy Christian Roy Jean-Christophe Rufin Peter Sanger John Ralston Saul Michel Savard Jacques Savoie Paul Savoie Roméo Savoie Robert J. Sawyer Bernhard Schlink Olive Senior Gilbert Sewell Danielle Simard Anne Simpson Yves Sioui-Durand Anne-Marie Sirois Johanna Skibsrud Glenna Sloan Alison Smith Neil Smith Russell Smith Thomas R. Smith Serena Sock Karen Solie Norbert Spitz David Staines Anthony A.C. Staples Andrew Steeves Fred Stenson Craig Stephenson Geronimo Stilton Kay Stone Christiane St-Pierre Jessica Tang Jeremy Tankard Michel Tétu Catherine Texier Mario Thériault Serge Patrice Thibodeau Michael Thorpe Harry Thurston Miriam Toews Patrick Toner Lise Tremblay Tony Tremblay Elise Turcotte Maxine Tynes Sylvia Tyson Jane Urquhart Hélène Vachon Francesca Valente Joe Velaidum Marie-Hélène Vézina Guillaume Vigneault Yolande Villemaire Eleanor Wachtel J.A. Wainwright Germaine Warkentin Darryl Whetter Budge Wilson Jean Wilson Yvonne Wilson Martin Winkler Meg Wolitzer Peter Yan

Northrop Frye and Moncton

Frye was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec. His father had owned a business in Sherbrooke but in 1919 the business failed and the family was without income or savings. In the fall of 1919 his father relocated his family to Moncton, where he began work as a commercial traveller. His mother was often depressed because of the family financial difficulties and because her oldest child, Howard, had been killed in the war. To her, Moncton was like an "exile."

Northrop Frye was seven years old when the family arrived in Moncton. He attended Victoria School and was quickly approved for Grade 4 because of his advanced reading ability. He attended junior high school in Sussex, New Brunswick and, at not quite 16 years of age he graduated from Moncton's Aberdeen High School near the top of his class. He loved bicycling the countryside around Moncton but his two main interests while in Moncton were his studies and piano. He studied piano with a very fine teacher, George Ross, and at one time thought of a career in music. He was a champion typist. His first romantic adventure was with a Moncton girl, Evelyn Rogers. But eventually his love of literature prevailed and in 1929 he left Moncton to study at the University of Toronto. His mother and father remained in Moncton. His mother died in 1941 and is buried in Moncton’s Elmwood Cemetery.

He famously described his early formal education as "a form of penal servitude" presided over by "a rabble of screaming and strapping spinsters."^[1] But he admitted late in life that his high school education was a good one. In 1990, after a brief and triumphant return to Moncton where he lectured at the University of Moncton and was the toast of the town, he said, "They were two of the best days of my life."^[2]

References

1. ^ Quoted in John Ayre, Northrop Frye: A Biography, Random House, 1989, p. 34
2. ^ Quoted in Reuben Cohen, A Time To Tell: The Public Life of a Public Man, Key Porter, 1998, p. 52

External links

• The Frye Festival in Moncton, New Brunswick.
• http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0003094