Millions for a Song

Millions for a Song is the story of Alex, a Quebec teenager and his rock band, The Nexxtep, made up of Alex and his friends: creative genius and lead guitarist Bruno, hot, feisty singer Melanie, and quiet-except-when drumming Jean-Francois. Alex and Melanie are close, very close, but friend-close not boyfriend/girlfriend close, despite the love/hate swings to their relationship.

One day, the friends cross paths with a true rock star whose chance remark will come back to haunt them. "Be careful. The music business is full of sharks." But first, Alex and the others experience the joy of composing and playing their own songs, tracking down their first contract and gig, and achieving fame, high-school style. Yet Alex's parents -- teachers both - are far from happy that the band's songs are written in English -- and not in their mother tongue French...and that they are rock songs to boot. Alex's dad declares rock passe, but Alex retorts: "My generation's going to get it right."

Then comes Tom Paradis who worms his way into their lives, promising big record deals if they take him on as their manager. They do, only to have him rob them of their songs. The theft comes to light during a rock concert they attend during which the featured rock band straight from Ireland announces that they'll be playing, as a special treat for their Quebec audience, a song by Quebecer, Tom Paradis. And then proceeds to play Nexxtep's song. That's when Alex's band has to learn to fight back. And win.

Andr Vanasse's original GG short-listed novel is translated by GG Award-winner Susan Ouriou and will strike a chord with young adults, giving them a glimpse into the worlds of music and fame, exploring friendship's many facets.

André Vanasse obtained a Ph.D. in literature from the Universite de Paris-Vincennes. He is vice-chairman and editorial director of XYZ editeur. He directs the Romanichels and the etoiles variables collections, and is editor of the literary magazine Lettres Quebecoises.

Susan Ouriou is an award-winning literary translator who has translated the fiction of Quebec, Latin-American, French and Spanish authors. She won Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Award for Translation in 2009 for Pieces of Me by Charlotte Gingras, after first being shortlisted for The Road to Chlifa by Michele Marineau and then for Necessary Betrayals by Guillaume Vigneault. The Road to Chlifa was also awarded an honour list placing by IBBY (International Board of Books for Youth) as were Naomi and Mrs. Lumbago by Gilles Tibo, This Side of the Sky by Marie-Francine Hebert and Pieces of Me. Necessary Betrayals was also voted one of the 100 best books of 2002 by the Globe and Mail. Another translation, The Thirteenth Summer by Jose Luis Olaizola, was runner-up for the John Glassco Translation Prize. She has worked as the director of the Banff International Literary Translation Centre and as faculty for the Banff Centre’s Aboriginal Emerging Writers residency. She is the editor of the 2010 anthology Beyond Words - Translating the World. Visit Susan’s web site at www.susanouriou.com.