Sébastien Lord-Émard
Sébastien Lord-Émard (he/him/they/them) is an Acadian queer author and cultural worker, a non-invited resident of the traditional and current territory of the people of the Wabanaki confederacy, specifically the Sikni'kt district of Mi'kma'ki. Trained in philosophy and history at the Université du Québec in Montreal, but having chosen to settle in Moncton in 2010 to live in the country's only officially bilingual province, Sébastien Lord-Émard is passionate about the world of publishing and literature, but also about the visual arts (about which he writes regularly) and theater (sitting on the board of Satellite Théâtre), among others. Like many people in the artistic and cultural spheres, he has many strings to his bow: host, interviewer, language editor, consultant on all things Acadian and identity-building, writer, and project manager. He currently coordinates the Revue acadienne de création littéraire Ancrages, Eastern Canada's only French-language literary magazine, founded in Moncton in 2004.
In the past, Sébastien Lord-Émard was employed by Éditions Bouton d'or Acadie for seven years, during which time he was called upon to oversee a number of award-winning titles, including Histoire de galets (by Marie Cadieux, illustrated by François Dimberton), Un gamin acadien / A Boy from Acadie (by Beryl Young, French translation by Robert Pichette, illustrations by Maurice Cormier), and Le trésor de Memramcook (by Dominic Langlois, illustrated by Maurice Cormier). He then took a detour into nonprofit work, becoming project manager and then director of development for the Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick (SANB) for over three years, overseeing the publication of a children's activity book and the re-edition of a biography of the great Acadian activist Dr. A.-M. Sormany (Éditions de la Francophonie). For his part, Sébastien Lord-Émard has published his own essays and poems in several magazines and exhibition catalogs, as well as an “Égoportrait du poète en burnout” in the collective work En cas d'incendie, prière de ne pas sauver ce livre, published by Prise de parole in 2021.
What led you to become an artist?
For as long as I can remember, I've loved writing. As a child, I used to do what I didn't yet know were “zines” (or fanzines). But the path was strewn with pitfalls. After being turned down for my first book of poetry at 19 (the publisher's letter was gratuitously cruel), I went on to study history and then philosophy at university, which was no picnic either. At the age of 28, I moved to Moncton to make a new life for myself, without expecting anything in the way of writing. It was the fabulous time after the 2008 economic crisis, the wonderful 2010s. Moncton was vibrant with an artistic vitality that overwhelmed me: exhibitions, happenings, parties, performances, poetry readings, and so on. Several opportunities presented themselves for me to return to the practice of writing: a French artist, Alex Carroll, exhibiting jointly with photographer and sculptor André Lapointe at Galerie 12 of the Aberdeen Cultural Centre, asked me to write something about her works; at the same time, I was elected to the board of directors of Galerie Sans Nom, and had the opportunity to write texts about works presented in this flagship institution of contemporary arts in Acadie. One day, while taking part in some event at Aberdeen, I plucked up the courage to read one of my poems. At the end, a man I recognized immediately, the poet Raymond Guy LeBlanc, author of Cri de terre, came up to me and, without speaking, gave me an approving nod, as if he'd seen beyond my stuttering and discomfort, something like a potential to explore. We kept in touch, far and wide, until his untimely death. I'll always be grateful to him. I felt a real intellectual closeness with this pioneer because of our shared study of philosophy and our decades-long involvement with the SANB. He gave me confidence in a potential I'm still not even sure I embody 15 years later. Since then, I've continued to pursue a dual path: poetry and essays on the visual arts. I'm proud to have created works over the years that have kept me in close touch with the visual arts. For example, I worked with visual artist Carole Deveau on a hand-crafted book, Et in Arcadia Ego, of which there is only one copy in the world today. A few years later, she and I were paired to create a video poem for the Festival acadien de poésie de Caraquet, Cueillir les liens. I also signed a text in the exhibition catalog of an artist I loved so much, Guy Arsenault, Saynètes dans la picture window, curated by his daughter, multidisciplinary artist Maryse Arseneault. Without the contribution of Acadian visual arts in my life, without the blessing of people like Raymond, I don't think I'd have a professional literary practice...
How has living and working in New Brunswick helped and/or inspired you on your journey?
I often say that if it hadn't been for my choice to live in New Brunswick, I wouldn't have benefited from all the employment and engagement opportunities for which I'm so grateful! New Brunswick's Francophone and Acadian community is vibrant, welcoming, and stimulating. I'm convinced that I've been given access to opportunities here that a big city like Montreal couldn't have offered me. What's more, being of Acadian descent on my mother's side, even though I was raised in Quebec, reconnecting with my roots was an overwhelming and formative experience, one that has inspired my writing enormously. Even the obstacles and challenges of being a francophone in New Brunswick have been the spark plug for my civic engagement and for meeting so many inspiring people, and for that, I'm grateful.
Can you share an outstanding experience or decisive moment in your artistic career?
There have been a number of milestones along my artistic journey, but the most important is undoubtedly my hiring by Éditions Bouton d’or Acadie in 2013. At the time, like many cultural workers and artists at the start of their careers, I was a barista and manager at a café (Le Clémentine). Working in this mecca for the eclectic urban fauna of the turn of the 2010s introduced me to Marie Cadieux, a filmmaker and writer who was returning to Acadie after a couple of decades in Ontario and Quebec. We became friends and even protested together when there were decreases to the tax credit program for audio-visual productions. It was she who saw in me the potential to work in a publishing house, even though I'd already had some experience in that direction before. Her sister Louise Imbeault, recently retired from Radio-Canada Acadie, had just bought Bouton d'or Acadie from its founder, the extraordinary Marguerite Maillet. With a grant from the Canada Book Fund, they offered me a six-month internship in publishing. Well, I stayed for seven years! As a project manager, I learned virtually every aspect of publishing, dealing mainly with literary direction, event organization, communications, warehouse management, invoicing, and shipping, not to mention grant writing and copyright management. Today, I coordinate the Revue acadienne de création littéraire Ancrages and offer my services as a mentor to authors, thanks to the advice and confidence of Louise and Marie. Not only have they encouraged me to train and learn alongside them, but they have also always supported me in my other projects, whether it be my involvement in the Acadian cause or my writing projects. I owe them a lot! It's a debt I'll never be able to repay, but one that I'll always treasure as an expression of my infinite gratitude and loyalty to them.
How have your experiences as an artist influenced your work as coordinator of Ancrages magazine?
Exactly ten years ago, in 2005, I was born into the world of literary creation with the publication of my first text... in Ancrages magazine! It was a very positive first experience of publishing a literary short story inspired by the proposed theme: “news item”. I've always admired the freedom and ingenuity of the people who have run this magazine for twenty years: over the years, I've been able to contribute to other issues of the magazine, but also to read issues that were so artistically stimulating! In 2024, I was contacted by the then-coordinator, Rachel Duperreault, and I agreed to submit my application to replace her. The editorial committee offered me the job and I started on August 1. It was perfect. I'd just taken the plunge into self-employment, and this part-time position allowed me to reconcile my other contracts while giving me time for my creative work. Of course, having worked for Bouton d'or Acadie gave me publishing management experience, but it was still a challenge I didn't take lightly. Before me, from Rose Després to Rachel, Sonya Malaborza, and other extraordinary women, the magazine has seen some great and beautiful years. My goal is to build on this momentum and increase the number of projects, as well as the magazine's presence at cultural and literary events throughout French Canada. As an author, I'm indebted to this magazine for allowing me to publish professionally for the first time, and I hope it will continue to do so for many years to come.
How do you see Ancrages' role in preserving and promoting the Acadian language and culture?
Ancrages occupies a very special place in the literary ecosystem of New Brunswick and Acadie in particular, as it lies at the junction of several key sectors. Founded in the wake of the tragic collapse of its 1980s predecessor, Éloizes, the Revue acadienne de création littéraire Ancrages (as it is officially called) has had its own ups and downs. After a few issues printed under the direction of the great poet Rose Després, the journal began to run out of steam after her departure, resulting in several years of dormancy. A literary event, Libéré(e) sur parole, revived the magazine in 2009. But we must also mention the important role played by the Association acadienne des artistes professionnel.le.s du Nouveau-Brunswick (AAAPNB) in re-establishing and perpetuating the magazine in the mid-2010s. Not to mention the role played by literature professors at the Université de Moncton, notably David Décarie (who has been with the magazine virtually since its inception). Supported by people and institutions, yet profoundly free and independent, the magazine has remained a beacon for the discovery of new literary talents over the years, who have gone on to be published by Perce-Neige, such as Jonathan Roy. Ancrages is a crucial laboratory and incubator for French-language literary creation in Acadie.
How do you see the magazine evolving in the coming years, and what role do you hope to play in that evolution?
Since the mid-2010s, Ancrages magazine has been available in digital format only, as a searchable website. This was an enlightened and visionary decision, enabling the combination of the written word with audio-visual means, as well as widespread distribution on the Internet, throughout the Francophone community. I believe that in 2025, other avenues can be explored, including the creation of accessible PDFs and ePUBs, which people could download and leaf through more easily, without needing Internet access. Another possibility would be a return to print for certain issues (special issues? as zines?). All this will ultimately depend on the will of the editorial board, which is the heart and brains behind Ancrages. I hope to have the chance to accompany the magazine on these explorations. Another element close to my heart is the events aspect of Ancrages' mission. Thanks to partnerships with the Festival acadien de poésie in Caraquet and the Salon du livre d'Edmundston, among others, Ancrages offers training courses called De la plume au micro, which enable authors of all levels to acquire new writing and stage skills. Similarly, under the impetus of poet Georgette LeBlanc, the magazine has launched a series of open-mic evenings called “Micro+brasserie”, currently held once a month in Moncton (although the idea is to offer the formula elsewhere in the province). These are just a few examples. I'd also like to create launches for issues, something that was abandoned during the pandemic. Ultimately, I'd like to increase the magazine's funding to propel it even further, enabling it to further expand its reach and effect on the literary ecosystem in New Brunswick.
