Poet, dramatist, essayist, editor and novelist (winner of the 1984 Governor General's award for his novel, Agonie) Jacques Brault was born in Montreal in 1933. He worked on the docks as a labourer to pay for his studies; these led him to philosophy and literature. His work has been translated into several languages and he has received awards including the "Prix Québec-Paris" in 1968, the "Prix Duvernay" in 1978, the "Prix Athanase-David" in 1986. He has received Canada's highest literary honor, the Governor General's Award, three times. The first time was in 1970 for his piece of theatre Quand nous serons heureux and the second was for his novel Agonie in 1985. In 1999, his collaboration with E.D. Blodgett (Transfiguration) earned him a third Governor General's Award.