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Les Mardis Tranquille
November 18th, 2026 →
March 24th, 2027
March 24th, 2027
Free
Informations
- Place Esplanade Tranquille
- Price
Free
Two Tuesdays each month, the Grand Salon in the Esplanade Tranquille pavilion hosts talks (in French) about the art of words, inspired by the intellectual, visionary and rebellious bookseller Henri Tranquille.
Les Mardis Tranquille will be led by host, journalist and cultural mediator Julie Laferrière, who had the good fortune to meet the legendary Mr. Tranquille. The sessions will explore a variety of themes with inspiring guest speakers from the world of literature and writing, with time for interaction with the public.
This season's dates :
- November 17 : Les mots au service de la chanson
- December 1st : Les mots dans la littérature autochtone
- December 15 : Les mots au service de la gourmandise
- January 12 : Les mots et la ville
- January 26 : Les mots au service de l’humour
- February 9 : Les mots et la maternité
- February 23 : Les mots pour voyager
- March 9 : Les mots au service du cinéma
- March 23 : La nuit
Les Mardis Tranquille is made possible through the financial support of the Gouvernement du Québec.
Mr.Tranquille and his Bookstore
Esplanade Tranquille is named after Henri Tranquille and his famous bookstore, Librairie Tranquille, which was located on the site, at 67 Sainte-Catherine St. East, from 1948 to 1974.
A literary maven and passionate defender of freedom of expression, Henri Tranquille was an exceptional bookseller. Known to many as “Monsieur Livre” (“Mr. Book”), he was a bold visionary who worked tirelessly to improve access to books. He made his store a haven of free expression and the dissemination of a wide range of ideas, with no censorship. He was also a great admirer of the arts, supporting emerging artists including the Automatistes movement, and hosted numerous artistic events and exhibitions.
Librairie Tranquille was a place where independent authors, artists and creators would gather; it was a hub for Quebec’s literary and artistic avant-garde. It was also the place where, on August 9, 1948, the historic Refus global manifesto was launched.
Henri Tranquille made a significant contribution to the emancipation of Quebec society at the dawn of the Quiet Revolution.
The exhibition Henri Tranquille et sa librairie Tranquille, presented in the Grand Salon, invites visitors to learn more about Librairie Tranquille and its owner through a series of displays featuring reproductions of archival materials, photographs and unpublished writings.