Townships Authors to Discover

Updated on Oct 6, 2022

They were born in the Townships or have lived here for many years… Who are these authors who find their inspiration in our region and offer us their captivating stories? We’re presenting you seven of these writers and some of their favourite places in the Townships.


©Jean-François Bérubé

Louise Penny

Best-selling author, Louise Penny has been a resident of the Eastern Townships for many years and finds inspiration in the region’s landscapes for writing her many sleuth stories. Her novels are translated in 29 languages and have received several awards.

Reading suggestions: The entire Armand Gamache investigates series. The action unfolds in the fictional town of Three Pines, deeply inspired by the village of Knowlton in the Eastern Townships.

In fact, you can even take the Three Pines Tour, a discovery circuit which will allow you to become better acquainted with the Townships locations that have inspired the author.


David Goudreault

A Sherbrooke native, David Goudreault is a novelist, poet and social worker. He can work a pen and juggle words like few others can and has received many literary awards for his poems and novels. He’s also very involved in the community for such causes as suicide prevention as well as with young people to encourage them to stay in school.

Reading suggestion: The trilogy La bête à sa mère in which the action unfolds in Sherbrooke.

Discover the Townships in 5 senses with David Goudreault


Denys Leclaire

Author and physiotherapist, Denys Leclaire is also a seasoned cyclist who has taken on the challenge to cycle the entire pan-Canadian route. He’s been living and pedalling in the Eastern Townships since the late 1980s.

Reading suggestion: Pédaler en chien, a novel for young readers

Discover the Townships in 5 senses with Denys Leclaire


Nathalie Roy

For more than 20 years, Nathalie Roy, originally from Sherbrooke, has worked in the field of communications and has several strings on her bow: journalist, researcher, reporter, columnist, scriptwriter and author. She has published several series and novels for the chick-lit crowd.

Reading suggestion: Ça peut pas être pire in which the plot unfolds mainly in a cottage by Lake Memphremagog.

Discover the Townships in 5 senses with Nathalie Roy


Marilyne Fortin

Marilyne Fortin is a native of Saint-Denis-de-Brompton. It was while she was completing her master’s thesis in history that she got the idea for her first novel La Fabrica, published in 2014. She has since published two other books: L’anatonisme and Le potager.

Reading suggestion: Le potager in which the dystopian plot brings to mind, to a certain extent, the present ongoing pandemic.

Discover the Townships in 5 senses with Marilyne Fortin


Johanne Seymour

After spending several years taking on different roles in theatre plays and television series, Johanne Seymour moved away from the stage to find herself behind the scenes where she directed different projects, and later she began writing romance novels. Originally from Montreal, she’s lived in the Eastern Townships for more than 15 years and finds her inspiration in the region she now calls home.

Reading suggestion: Le goût de l’élégance

Discover the Townships in 5 senses with Johanne Seymour


Véronique Grenier

Véronique Grenier This college philosophy teacher is also the author of several poetry books and a novel. She’s also participated in a few collective projects. A resident of Sherbrooke, Véronique Grenier received the Mérite Estrien award in 2018, and the Conseil de la culture de l’Estrie Coup de cœur prize.

Reading suggestion: Hiroshimoi

Discover the Townships in 5 senses with Véronique Grenier

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