Jean O'Neil

Career Highlights

Jean O'Neil received a BA from the Université de Sherbrooke in 1957 and began a career as journalist in Granby, Chicoutimi, Quebec City and Montreal. From 1969 onward, O’Neil worked as an information officer, then as a communications director in about ten government departments. He retired in 1987 and devoted himself to writing.

Writing Career

A novelist (Je voulais te parler de Jeremiah, d'Ozélina et de tous les autres..., 1967; Les hirondelles, 1973), poet (Montréal by foot, 1983), and playwright (Les bonheurs-z-essentiels, 1966; Les balançoires, 1972), Jean O'Neil found his true voice in the creation of a genre of its own: that of "literary tourism", in which he reveals a sensitive poet's nature in prose. Made up mostly of bright and spirited stories, and playful lively descriptions, his work uncovers the unusual beauty of Quebec, beckoning his readers to reconnect with nature and the simple things in life.

From 1995 to 2000, Jean O’Neil wrote the Grandeur nature column in the magazine Géo Plein Air.

Style

Jean O’Neil’s style is characterized by freshness, spontaneity and the importance of the theme of nature. His works are filled with the singing of birds, the whispering of the wind, the rustling of trees, and the dull sound of snow on the windowsill.

With his attention to the minutest details of daily life, his philosophy filled with humour, tenderness and humility marveling in the face of nature, his loyalty to the past and to the illustrious ghosts of history, Jean O'Neil aligns himself with the literary legacy of writer and ethnologist Félix-Antoine Savard.

Honours

Jean O’Neil was named Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 1998.

Selected Works

• Les bonheurs-z-essentiels (1966)
• Je voulais te parler de Jeremiah, d'Ozélina et de tous les autres... (1967)
• Les balançoires (1972)
• Les hirondelles (1973)
• Montréal by foot (1983)
• Cap-aux-oies (1980)
• Promenades et tombeaux (1989)
• L'Île-aux-grues (1991)
• Le fleuve (1995)
• Stornoway : L’Âge du bois (1996)
• Les Terres rompues : L’Âge du bois (1997)
• Les Montérégiennes (1999)
• Hivers (1999)
• Les Escapades de Jean O’Neil (2000)
• Le Livre des prophètes (2000)
• Le Roman de Renart (2000)
• Entre Jean (2001)
• Les nouvelles escapades de Jean O’Neil (2004)
• Mon beau Far-West (2005)
• Une autre île d’Orléans (2006)
• Vues du fleuve : le Saint-Laurent et son pays (2006)
• Écrivains chéris (2008)
• Bisous (2010)