Quebec Tour Overview

What does it mean to be Quebecois? It’s a question with an ever-changing answer that stretches back nearly 500 years.

On this tour we’ll explore ideas about Quebecois identity and culture through 20th-century literature, especially works related the Quiet Revolution. This was a series of events in the 1960s that remade a province dominated by the Catholic Church and reshaped Anglo-French relations.

Guided tours with a local historian will help you trace the path to revolution. Through discussions with local students and cultural figures, you’ll learn how writers and artists contributed to the Quiet Revolution, and what younger Quebecois think about it now. You’ll come away with an appreciation for contemporary literature and a better understanding of how the decade’s educational, political and social reforms made today’s Quebec.

All this while enjoying one of North America’s most beautiful cities. June offers warm weather and long days. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the city’s charming historic streets, outdoor dining scene, and gorgeous views over the St. Lawrence River.

You’ll unwind from the day’s activities in distinctive accommodation. Le Monastère des Augustines is a former monastery run by the Augustinian sisters, who arrived in 1639. The cells and cloisters have been turned into bright, comfortable rooms and public spaces with a focus on relaxation and healing.

Explore the fascinating multicultural and multilingual literary heritage of Quebec City, UNESCO City of Literature.

Accommodation

Le Monastère des Augustines

Readings

Michèle Lalonde’s “Speak White” and selected 20th- and 21st-century poetry ; Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny

Your Dead by Louise Penny

Image credits: Banner photo of Quebec at night: Wilfredor on Wikimedia Commons; Quebec City during the day, Pixabay; Aux Anciens Canadaiens, Yanhay on Wikimedia Commons; Creative Commons License 3.0 and Creative Commons License 4.0