Not long ago I sent a little message to Alain Farah, calling him, as so many people call him, “Farah.”
Published at 1:16 am. Updated at 5:00 am.
I forget the exact wording, but the message was: Farah, you are nice.
I've only known him for a short time and didn't really know him when I wrote a review1 of his wonderful book about humanity, identity and Quebecness, “A Thousand Secrets, a Thousand Dangers”, a UFO book in that sense was a critical and popular success…
I'm not a writer. But from this environment I have distant, undoubtedly distorted echoes of deadly rivalries, small and large hatreds between writers. I'm not saying that literature tends toward bitchiness rather than genius. I'll tell you what I read between the lines when book fair regulars have two drinks up their noses…
Not Farah, never.
And Farah spent the last book fair on her social networks praising everyone who saw the lens of her phone with warm and emphatic words.
I thought he would be a good guest for the “Coffee With” column on kindness. In this time of anger and stupidity that has the gift of garnering likes, I think Farah embodies a light that we all need.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Alain Farah, author of A Thousand Secrets, A Thousand Dangers
He accepted the coffee and this was the first thing I said to him after he sat down with his chai latte:
“You’re nice, Alain…”
I realized that “Farah” is for writing, personally I always call him “Alain”. And I also realized that the word “nice” made him cringe, it darkened his face a little over the tie he always wears when performing, even in the cafe.
“In France, ‘gentile’ is an insult… There is this word ‘stupid’. »
I tell him yes, but no: I don't perceive it that way at all. I feel genuine kindness when he praises others, when he rejoices in the success of others. I tell Farah that this demonstrative joy at other people's successes in life is misplaced…
Then Alain Farah's face lights up again: “It's not a stunt,” he said. It's sincere. Above all, it doesn't take anything away from you when others get something. This difficulty people have celebrating others may stem from a fear that doing so will take something away from them. »
For me it is certain that the universe has given me a lot with the success of “A Thousand Secrets, A Thousand Dangers”. But I enjoy celebrating everyone's good achievements. It just raises the level of conversation…
Alain Farah, author
I will give you an example of Alain's kindness, of that sincere joy…
A year and a half ago I was in Paris for a few days. The stars meant Alain was there too. One evening we went for a walk and had dinner. He had been in France for some time to respond to all the invitations surrounding “A Thousand Secrets, a Thousand Dangers.” He did a lot of canvassing with booksellers to talk about his book and encourage them to read and talk about it. In France it seems to be crucial.
He wanted to “sell” his book, of course, an immense success in Quebec (tens of thousands of copies sold, the Governor General's Award, a film by Philippe Falardeau, the second biggest success of Le Quartanier after The Diver by Stéphane Larue), but Farah wanted too preparing the ground for her next novel…
And to “prepare the ground” meant making himself known beyond the front page of the literary section2 of the newspaper Le Monde (another sign of the success of A Thousand Secrets, a Thousand Dangers), it meant making a name for himself that belonged to the next Novel could sneak into the finalists of the major French literary prizes…
And there you move the cursor forward one year.
Kevin Lambert, a young author from Quebec, is catapulted into the literary stratospheres of the French-speaking world with “Let Our Joy Remain.” The novel flirts with the Goncourt before winning the Décembre and Médicis prizes.
Anyone other than Farah simply couldn't have said anything. But that's because Alain doesn't know his stuff well: at every stage, the author of “A Thousand Secrets, a Thousand Dangers” celebrated the success of Kevin Lambert.
“You sent me your little message about the prizes Kevin won. I was happy for him in December. But the Medici! He beat the odds! He's a guy I admire both literary and for his way of dealing with it, for example when he had a hard time solving the problem of sensitive readers3. I, at 31, would never have managed to win the Medici. I'm not capable of this at 45! »
We begin to talk about envy, a common sin. A feeling that perhaps prevents so many people from being happy about the success of others…
Alain Farah states his family origins, his Christian family comes from the Middle East, his father was born in Egypt.
I grew up with the superstition of the evil eye. And Middle Eastern tradition says that envy is a mortal sin. You can't envy others…
Alain Farah, author
I point out to him that “A Thousand Secrets, A Thousand Dangers” was a huge success. I point out to him that not everyone is afraid of the evil eye.
“Were you aware of other people’s desires? »
He takes another sip and thinks about it. I feel like Farah is weighing her words. In the end he gives a diplomatic answer: No, no bad words, no nonsense, he assures me. Before adding:
“The worst thing about this environment is the silence.
— Are there people from whom you thought you would receive congratulations but who said nothing?
– Yes, adds Farah and at the same time… You can't keep a list. »
Another silence, then his face breaks into a guilty laugh:
“But I did it!” ”
The conversation takes all sorts of turns. About a Parisian bookseller, Théodore Dillerin, who fell in love with A Thousand Secrets, A Thousand Dangers and sold 400 of them in his bookstore Le Comptoir des mots. About his way of working (preparation, with notebooks and pencils; writing on the computer, relying on the handwritten plan). About his allergy to power, his disillusionment with those in power…
A thousand secrets, a thousand dangers is the opposite of the fear of the great replacement, a popular theory in France when it comes to immigration. In France my book is a more scandalous book than here…
Alain Farah, author
This novel by Farah is an ode to immigration without sentimentality, the story of immigrants who were all Quebecized within a few years. The story of a son of immigrants, Farah, who spans multiple cultures – Christian, Egyptian, Quebecois, hip-hop (!) – and is deeply and unmistakably Quebecois…
I remind him of the evening last summer when he showed me the places of his childhood: Cartierville, Saint-Laurent, Little Lebanon.
I talk to him about this divide between Montreal and the rest of Quebec.
“If you had to give a tour to someone who was prejudiced against Montreal, where would you take them?
— Firstly, I spend time with her. It wouldn't just be a tourist visit. »
The conversation drags on (I reload my parking meter twice) and turns back to “A Thousand Secrets, a Thousand Dangers,” which is popular wherever he goes outside of Montreal; about his father, who is disillusioned with the health care system; about female authors who have to deal with misogynistic attacks when success knocks on their door…
And Farah names those he values as women and as feathers: India Desjardins, Daphnée B., Emmanuelle Pierrot…
I think, re-reading the notes of my interview: Saint Alain, always shedding light on others…
You know what, Farah?
OK, we're going to delete the word “nice.”
And we take what you like best, and maybe it suits you even better…
You are generous, Alain.
Questionnaire without filters
coffee and Me
The last time I drank caffeinated coffee was in CEGEP II. The words started moving in my head so quickly that I felt like I was the movie itself at the same time as the dubbing. Coffee is bad for anxious people.
Your Movie fetish
I read in a comment, I'm not sure where, something like, “It's time for Farah to come back from The Godfather.” » So I'll say Pulp Fiction to ease my anonymous critic's torment.
The most beautiful compliment
Be sufficiently present.
There worst insult
Loving the godfather too much.
THE What does the word “diversity” inspire you?
Health. Without diversity, an organization cannot exist for long, the same applies to the social body: healthy development requires the acceptance of differences. Health, but also discouragement. Discouragement at the institutions that have turned this much-needed word into a buzzword more concerned with creating a good image than truly working toward inclusion.
Which book are you rereading? often ?
Geek Alert: Homer's Odyssey, Shakespeare's Hamlet, Joyce's Ulysses, my Holy Trinity, what!
Your Christmas ideal?
Lounging in front of the TV: Super Mario with my daughter, NHL/NFL with my son, binge series with my wife.
Who is Alain Farah?
- Alain Farah was born in Montreal to Lebanese parents from Egypt.
- In 2021, he published the novel “A Thousand Secrets, a Thousand Dangers” in Le Quartanier, which was inspired by his personal story. In particular, he reflects on his wedding day, the mourning for his friend and the cultural heritage of his parents. He won the Governor General's Literary Award for this book.
- The author of several books, he is also a professor of literature at McGill University.