The Prix litteraire des collegiens, a prestigious Quebec literary prize, "has been suspended amid public outcry over the announcement of online giant Amazon as the main sponsor," the Montreal Gazette reported. Five finalists for the 2019 edition of the award had published a joint letter in Le Devoir last week expressing concern over Amazon's detrimental effect on small booksellers. In response, prize organizers said they will meet with members of the literary community and are ready to relaunch the contest if they receive enough support.
"Our great unease comes from the dangerous competition this giant has with Quebec bookstores," authors Karoline Georges, Kevin Lambert, Jean-Christophe Rehel, Lula Carballo and Dominique Fortier wrote. "Need we remind you of the precariousness of the book trade and literary publishing? Need we mention the inhumane methods of this online giant, which constitute a danger for small traders and culture at large?"
Noting that they had not been made aware of the partnership before they were announced as finalists, the authors said the "painful shock" of the discovery made some of them consider withdrawing from the prize. Because this would affect both their publishing houses and the students, they decided instead "to air their discomfort in the hope of finding another solution," the Guardian reported.
"Could the [award] do without the money from Amazon? Find sponsors more in line with the values it stands for?" they asked. "Unfortunately, we believe that by uniting with Amazon, the prize is failing in its principal mission, which is to 'promote Québécois literature today'.... We believe that the defense of Québécois literature and the promotion of a multinational that harms bookstores... cannot go together."
In a statement, Prix litteraire des collegiens co-founder Claude Bourgie Bovet said the decision to suspend was the "direct result of the distressing reaction of many parties in the Quebec book trade following the recent announcement of major support."