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Les Mardis Tranquille
November 11th, 2025 →
March 17th, 2026
March 17th, 2026
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 11: Three Salon du livre come together
- November 20 (exceptionally, at the Salon du livre de Montreal): Literature and celebrity
- November 25: Words and song
- December 9: Words in the service of gastronomy
- January 20: Literature and fashion
- February 3: Words and cinema
- February 17: Words and love
- March 3: Literature and change agents
- March 17: Great speeches
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Tranquille and its owner through a series of displays featuring reproductions of archival materials, photographs and unpublished writings.