Marie-Claire Blais is a defining figure in Canada&146;s literary landscape, with over 30 books to her credit, including La Belle Bete [Mad Shadows], published when she was twenty, Une Saison dans la vie d'Emmanuel [A Season in the Life of Emmanuel], which is now taught regularly in university and college courses, and Soifs [These Festive Nights], which won the Governor General's Award in 1996.