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Key points
- Godpèle is a 2026 Governor General's Literary Award finalist in French-language fiction
- Published by La Peuplade in October 2025, the novel runs 528 pages
- His earlier novel Tas-d'roches won the Prix Ringuet and the Prix Rabelais de la Francophonie
- He has worked as a graphic designer, puppeteer, snow sculptor, publisher and teacher
Some novelists invent a world. Gabriel Marcoux-Chabot went further and invented a people, their customs and their language. The result is Godpèle, a 528-page novel published by La Peuplade in October 2025 and now a finalist for the 2026 Governor General’s Literary Awards in the French-language fiction category (romans et nouvelles).
A many-sided creative life
Marcoux-Chabot comes from Saint-Nérée-de-Bellechasse, a village in Quebec’s Bellechasse region. Before settling into the work he calls simply “écrivain,” or writer, he tried a long list of trades: graphic designer, illustrator, puppeteer, publisher, snow sculptor, theatre critic and teacher. The snow-sculpting detail is worth keeping in mind once you open Godpèle.
Tas-d’roches and a Rabelaisian streak
His novel Tas-d’roches, published by Éditions Druide in 2015, is a portrait of his home village of Saint-Nérée-de-Bellechasse. It won the Prix Ringuet from the Académie des lettres du Québec and the Prix Rabelais de la Francophonie. The scholarly journal L’Année rabelaisienne later interviewed him and described the book as arguably the most Rabelaisian work in Quebec literature, full of nods to the Pantagruel stories. He has a taste for big, playful, language-rich books, and Godpèle pushes that taste further.
Godpèle: a people of snow and shovels
The novel follows La Floune, a woman alone in the wild landscapes of northern Quebec who turns to writing to survive. She has just left her people, the Godpèles. As she struggles to stay alive, she looks back on life in their democratic society, where modern technology is an almost forgotten myth and the shovel sits at the heart of the culture as a tool for sculpting snow.
La Floune was once a source of hope for her community. Now she is fleeing, carrying a secret she barely dares to approach, and trying to escape the Loncrisse, a dark presence over the icy mountains. The book gathers her final writings, set down in a language that does not yet exist. The publisher calls it “une œuvre unique, méticuleuse et poignante, où la forme épouse le sens”: a unique, meticulous and moving work where form follows meaning.
A Governor General’s Award finalist
The Governor General’s Literary Awards honour books in English and French across seven categories. In French-language fiction this year, Godpèle shares the list with books by Virginie Chaloux-Gendron, Alex Thibodeau, Sarah McNeil and Charlotte Gosselin. Each finalist receives $1,000, and each winner receives $25,000. The winners are set to be announced on November 12, 2026.
For readers who love language and are ready for a challenge, this is a book that rewards patience. For French-language readers outside Quebec, it is also a reminder of how inventive Quebec fiction can be.
Where to learn more
Godpèle is published by La Peuplade and available in French from Quebec bookstores and libraries. You can read the full list of French-language finalists in Noovo Info’s coverage of the 2026 Governor General’s Literary Awards.
The publisher’s page for the novel is on the La Peuplade website.
Questions and answers
What is Godpèle about?
Godpèle follows La Floune, a woman alone in the wild landscapes of northern Quebec who writes to survive after leaving her people, the Godpèles. Her final writings are set down in a language that does not yet exist, among a people for whom modern technology is an almost forgotten myth and the shovel is a tool for sculpting snow.
Is Godpèle available in English?
The sources consulted for this profile list only the original French edition, published by La Peuplade on October 2, 2025. Check with the publisher or your local bookstore for any translation news.
When are the 2026 Governor General's Literary Award winners announced?
The winners are expected to be announced on November 12, 2026. Each winner receives $25,000 and each finalist receives $1,000. As of November 7, 2026, Godpèle is a finalist.
