Under the Surface with Geneviève Bigué

This month marks the publication of an incredible new YA graphic novel: When the Lake Burns by Geneviève Bigué (translated by Luke Langille). Originally published in French by Front Froid, this is the first book we’ve co-published across two of our imprints: our YA imprint, Emanata, and our translation imprint, BDANG.

When the Lake Burns opens with a local lake catching fire, creating a stir in the town of Corbeau River. As the fire grows into an inferno, a group of local teens set out to see the spectacle for themselves—but not everything goes as planned.

Find out more in this Q&A with Geneviève Bigué.

5 QUESTIONS WITH GENEVIÈVE BIGUÉ

1. When the Lake Burns is your first graphic novel in French and now translated into English. It won awards and did very well. Or as we say in English, “You hit it out of the park.” How did you manage to create such a successful project the first time out? Or do you have a background in art and illustration?

I studied graphic design, illustration and traditional animation. I don’t have a professional background in comics/graphic novels, but I think my cinematic studies made it easier to make a graphic novel. I also created When the Lake Burns in residency at my French publisher, Front Froid. For a whole year, I was supervised by a professional editor and comic artist that helped me with the scenario and storyboard. This helped me tremendously in making my first graphic novel.

2. When the Lake Burns is heavily invested in magic realism. Do you read these sorts of books, comics or fiction? What were your influences?

I do! Books with magic realism are my favourite kind, so I wanted to write a story in that genre. I read novels, graphic novels and mangas, mainly YA and fantasy.

3. This is the first time our two imprints have collaborated, BDANG for translated Quebec work and Emanata for YA. I realize there is no YA category in the French publishing world. How do you see your book? What audience?

It’s true that there is no YA category per se, but there are still some stories in that genre that can be found in the Young Reader section. While I wrote this story for teens, many readers outside that audience read the book, younger and older. I’m happy that the story managed to reach such a range of people.

4. The book takes place in a small town with all the social dynamics of such a place. You live in Montreal but did you grow up in a small town? Did that influence the book?

Absolutely! I come from a small town in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, near the Ontario border. I moved out of it to study in Montreal, but I’m very fond of it and go back often. It’s surrounded by the Boreal forest, which you can find in my book. The vibe is also different from big cities. I went to school with the same people from kindergarten until the end of high school–and that created an interesting dynamic with friends, which I wanted to write about. The proximity of those relationships makes it easier to befriend someone, but harder to avoid someone.

5. Do you have plans for more graphic novels?

Yes! I’m currently working on a few. One is already published monthly in the teen magazine Curium, two pages at a time.

Ready to Dive In? Order When the Lake Burns Today!