Échos Littéraires

​https://www.facebook.com/groups/728702615769289/

​

August 9 2025

 

Saturday’s Guest: Pierre Laflamme
For his novel: The Light and the Ashes

I have great respect for our guest, especially given his remarkable career. Judge for yourself: @Pierre Laflamme, novelist and author, worked for over 35 years in marketing for film distribution companies (including United Artists and France Films), then in international relations at Radio-Canada, and finally at Télé-Québec, where he oversaw independent revenues. In retirement, he devotes himself fully to writing and traveling, particularly to Egypt.

​

Bibliography
Le temps des dérangements – 2012
Le Sang des cailloux – 2015 (Fondcombe Jury Prize, 2017)
Les oubliés de Dieu – 2021
La lumière et les cendres – 2024

​

Biography
Pierre Laflamme was born on February 8, 1946, in Montreal. He studied marketing at CÉGEP Édouard-Montpetit in Longueuil, then communications at the Université du Québec à Montréal. He worked for about 35 years in film distribution marketing. In retirement, he dedicates his time to writing, traveling (France, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria, Mexico, Slovakia, United States, etc.), and reading. His novels have earned him excellent reviews. Le Sang des cailloux won the Special Jury Prize at Fondcombe in France in 2017.

​

Synopsis of the novel
The story takes place in spring 2013, in the midst of the political turmoil following Egypt’s 2011 revolution. The people return to Tahrir Square to challenge Mohamed Morsi’s government, while the unstable political climate reignites regional tensions. The plot follows Fadilah and her former professor Aïcha, bound by a deep friendship since their university days. Their journey takes them from Cairo to Amman, via Tehran, in a frantic race to prevent a war sparked by opposing ideological and political forces.

The novel captures the escalation of cultural and political tensions: the clash between radical Islamism and modern aspirations, the exploration of fundamentalism, and its impact on individual lives. It also raises profound personal questions—about female identity, choosing not to marry in a patriarchal society, and the search for self-understanding in a complex geopolitical context. The Light and the Ashes is both a geopolitical and intimate thriller, where the fate of two women plays out amid the urgency of a Middle East in crisis.

 

The Interview

Échos littéraires: Pierre Laflamme, hello and thank you for accepting our invitation. The Light and the Ashes is a very moving and sensitive novel. How does a story like this come to life? Is it first a trip, an image, a place, or a character?

Pierre Laflamme: The Light and the Ashes is the sequel to my novel The Blood of Stones. In 2007, my partner and I traveled to Egypt—we were both drawn to the country. It was also at a time when Bin Laden and his gang were making headlines for all the wrong reasons. We returned enchanted by our trip, which had allowed us to discover another culture. Each time I watched the news, I found myself thinking, “Not all Muslims are terrorists.” I began wondering how a boy, and later a man, could be drawn into a path of violence. I am not a particularly religious person, but I have always respected those who believe in God, Allah, etc.—as long as they do not impose their beliefs by force. So I began researching the journey of these so-called “soldiers of God” and came to believe there was a story to tell, one that often had little to do with the sensationalized version in the newspapers or on TV. Most journalists were poorly informed and reported inaccurate accounts. Writing a novel seemed to me a way to set the record straight—for those who would eventually read it. While I was writing, the people’s uprising against Mubarak’s government occurred, creating an extraordinary backdrop for a novel. I wrote scenes with live footage from Tahrir Square playing on the second screen of my computer. The Light and the Ashes thus became the continuation of The Blood of Stones, which told the story of Faysal. The new book was inspired by the fall of Morsi’s government. I wanted to tell the story of Fadilah, who believes in an enlightened Islam (we hear more often about Arab men than women), as well as the aftermath of the 2011 revolution. What would happen to Fadilah when she realized that the Salah ad-Din Brigade, which Faysal had joined, threatened to ignite war across the Middle East? Who could she talk to, who could she turn to, if not her friend Aïcha? And who was Aïcha, really?

Échos littéraires: The work stands out for its forays into Egyptian symbolism, far from clichés. You speak often of the richness of Islamic culture. How did this attraction to Islam come about?

Pierre Laflamme: As I said earlier, I respect other people’s beliefs, but since I knew little about Islam, I did research to understand its rituals and discovered many similarities between Christianity (Catholicism) and Islam. I wanted to highlight these similarities to show that Judaism, Islam, and Christianity share much common ground. Since my teenage years, I have been fascinated by Egyptian civilization and the history of the pharaohs. I couldn’t write a novel about Egypt without infusing it with its rich, monumental cultural heritage.

Échos littéraires: At the time of your retirement, your colleagues told you that you would be bored. “No,” you replied, “because I will be writing novels.” How have these 18 years of retirement been for you? Have you been bored?

Pierre Laflamme: Not really—I don’t have time to be bored. I always have a project in mind, whether it’s travel or writing. In my free time, I play golf or go cycling. Last winter, I translated my three novels into English, with the following titles: The Blood of Stones, The Light and the Ashes, and God’s Forgotten One (for Les oubliés de Dieu), which tells the odyssey of two men and a woman fleeing the dictatorship in Eritrea—a country in the Horn of Africa—to reach Europe through the Sahara.

Échos littéraires: The title is very evocative. Why did you choose The Light and the Ashes? What do these two contrasting images represent for you?

Pierre Laflamme: The title comes from a general observation made by Fadilah during a conversation with her friend Aïcha: “Islamists think they are bringing light to the world, but in reality, they leave only ashes in their wake.” This is almost always the case: under the pretext of “Islamizing,” they start wars and spread chaos. Think of the Islamic State…

Échos littéraires: Your novels are very visual, almost cinematic. Have you ever considered an adaptation for the screen, especially since you’re familiar with the industry?

Pierre Laflamme: Of course—that’s every writer’s dream. All my readers tell me these novels would make excellent films or TV series. It’s already difficult to find a publisher for a novel, so imagine finding, in Quebec or Canada, a producer or director with the necessary budget… That said, last week, an agent from a New York firm representing artists and writers offered to represent me to film and TV production companies. He sees enormous potential in The Blood of Stones… Let’s wait and see how things develop. I’ll keep you informed if you wish.

Échos littéraires: The novel explores profound themes such as memory, grief, the search for truth, and resilience. What message did you hope to convey through it?

Pierre Laflamme: In truth, I don’t write to deliver a “message.” My hope is simply that humans will stop fighting… What a utopia! Often, they share the same—or at least similar—values, and we all seek happiness for our loved ones. No one holds the truth about God or Allah.

Échos littéraires: You created Pierre Laflamme Romans in response to the long delays in hearing back from publishers. Why do you think it takes so long, and does this discourage young authors from publishing?

Pierre Laflamme: According to publishers, they receive too many manuscripts and people read less and less. The readership is 65–70% female… Where are the men? If you’re not a public figure in television, film, or politics, you’re not seen as a “safe bet” by publishers. Moreover, time spent reading the trivialities on social media has replaced books. Naturally, the difficulty in finding a publisher can dampen young authors’ enthusiasm, but the ease of self-publishing fills this gap. However, the important editorial work—analyzing the work and guiding the author—is often skipped. I solved this by creating a committee of three or four qualified people to read, analyze the work, and provide feedback or recommendations, which I always take into account. But you have to be careful not to choose overly indulgent friends…

Échos littéraires: You’ve said that when writing, you also expand your readers’ knowledge. For you, writing a novel is an adventure—can you tell us about your next one?

Pierre Laflamme: Yes, I think it makes a novel more interesting. Personally, when I read an author, I want to learn something—a historical fact, for example, or the customs of a region of the world. My novels carry social and contemporary content. My first novel, Le temps des dérangements, looked back on the deportation of the Acadians (an attempted genocide) during the British conquest in 1755. The diptych The Blood of Stones and The Light and the Ashesaddresses, respectively: the tragic consequences of terrorism, ideological radicalization, and in God’s Forgotten One, the drama of human exodus and human trafficking. As for my next novel, as always, I follow current events… and the troublemakers—Poutine, Netanyahu, and the blond guy south of Canada… A sequel to The Light and the Ashes is not out of the question.

Échos littéraires: Thank you so much for sharing all these insights.

Pierre Laflamme: Thank you—I hope I’ve answered all your questions.

Sincerely,
@everyone

 

​