To equip those aspiring to write manga, it is the purpose of the very first grant intended for manga creation in Canada that Les Librairies O-Taku, which specializes in manga, was just launched in collaboration with the Festival BD de Montreal .
The world of mangaka, as manga authors are called, remains largely dominated by the Land of the Rising Sun, but more and more non-Japanese are managing to publish their stories.
This is particularly the case of Frenchman Tony Valente, creator of the popular manga series Radiant, who writes and draws in Montreal, where he is based.
With their new grant, Les Librairies O-Taku hopes to identify and encourage upcoming refugees in the country. The scholarship is not only a vehicle to recognize and reward emerging talents, but also to equip them for the writer’s profession.explained Vanessa Flores, Marketing Director of Librairies O-Taku.
More and more manga are being read in Quebec
It must be said that the context was particularly buoyant, as manga sales exploded in Quebec during the pandemic. Last year, they climbed 85.8%, according to figures from Bilan Gaspard for 2021. Librairies O-Taku, which has stores in Montreal and partners seven other points of sale in Quebec, had while they recorded increases from 35 % to 40 % in 2020 and 2021.
This popularity was also boosted by Netflix’s anime broadcast and the film’s success Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train.
The manga has captured the attention of readers thanks to the ease of their reading, to their diversity in several volumes that makes it possible to keep track of the characters over a long period of time and their diversity. Regardless of age or gender, everyone will find a manga that will make them happy, says Vanessa Flores. And it’s a less dichotomous universe than American comics: the great ones aren’t perfect, they have shortcomings and challenges that must be overcome.
The creation of the stock market also resulted in pandemic. During this time, we noticed a tendency, among comics readers, to initiate a more creative aspect of their passion, whether it be writing or drawing.he says.
Several people approached us to ask for help with their project, he continued. We said to ourselves: “Instead of helping one or two people, why not create a scholarship? And why not come to the Montreal BD Festival?”
Money, but also mentorship to win
Fellowship applicants have until Aug. 31 to apply by submitting a 20-25 page manga. A jury composed of author and sociologist Valérie Harvey, who left Quebec for Japan, cartoonists Dez and Nunumi, as well as several publishers will decide between the winner and the two finalists, who the names will be announced in the month of November during the Salon du livre de Montréal.
In addition to winning prizes ranging from $ 200 to $ 500, these three people will benefit from six -hour mentorship with specialists to learn how to better speed up their stories or even give depth to the their characters, but also feedback on their work from publishing houses.
The winner will also offer a trip to Paris to attend the Japanese culture fair Japan Expo in 2023 and meet the editorial team of publishing house Glénat, which specifically publishes manga.
Source: Radio-Canada
