Hubert Aquin was born on 24 October 1929 in Montreal, Quebec. He graduated from the Université de Montréal in 1951 with a degree in philosophy, then spent three years at the Institut d'études politiques (Institute of Political Studies) in Paris. Upon his return to Montreal, Aquin worked as a producer for Radio-Canada, as a scriptwriter and director for the National Film Board, and as a stockbroker. In 1960, he joined the Quebec nationalist organization, Rassemblement pour l'Indépendence nationale, but left in 1968 when the group merged with the Mouvement Souveraineté-Association to form the Parti Québécois. In 1964, after announcing that he was going to fight for Quebec's independence by becoming a terrorist, Aquin was arrested and sent to l'Institut psychiatrique Albert-Prévost (Albert Prevost Psychiatric Institute) for four months where he began his first novel. On 15 March 1977, Aquin drove to the Villa Maria convent school and shot himself in the head. His suicide note stated: "I have lived intensely, and now it is over."

Books by Hubert Aquin

	1965 Prochain épisode Next Episode
	1968 Trou de mémoire Blackout
	1969 L'Antiphonaire The Antiphonary
	1971 Point de fuite (essays and letters)
	1974 Neige noire Hamlet's Twin
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Awards

• Canada Reads
  • 2003 – Next Episode – Winner

• Le Combat des livres
  • 2006 – Prochain épisode – Shortlisted

• Governor General's Literary Award: Fiction
  • 1968 – Trou de mémoire – Co-winner (refused)

Comments

Added 27 April 2006.
Updated 01 June 2014.