In the 1970s, when the feminist movement was very much alive, a group of militant women felt a need for continuity in the trend of women speaking out. Faced with this trend, they deemed it urgent and necessary to establish a feminist publishing company so that women's speech would be published and disseminated. Therefore, on August 19, 1975, Éditions du remue-ménage was founded in Montreal by a group of women (Louise Toupin, Raymonde Lamothe, Claire Brassard, Sylvie Dupont, Louise Vandelac, Catherine Germain, Nicole Lacelle and Lise Nantel).
In image of its name, the mandate of Éditions remue-ménage was to provide militants and persons interested in women's cause with texts, ideas and speech. It also believed itself to be an ally of women's groups. Therefore, the publishing house Éditions remue-ménage published works written by and for women. Their work method was similar to that of the cooperative movements that were appearing during this time: rotation of duties, absence of hierarchy, self-management.
The first book to be published by Éditions remue-ménage came out in March 1976. It was a play by the Théâtre des cuisines entitled Môman travaille pas, a trop d'ouvrage ! Another publication followed in the fall of 1977: L'Agenda des femmes. Published ever since, the 1999 edition will be the 22nd of the series and will focus on women artists.
Another important step for the publishing company was accomplished between 1981 and 1992 with the publication of Simone Monet-Chartrand's autobiography entitled Ma vie comme rivière, which sold 13 000 copies and was considered a best seller.
Presently, the team members who manage the publishing company are Ginette Péloquin, Sales Manager, as well as Rachel Bédard and Hélène Larochelle, both publishers. The latter two were drawn towards the group for different reasons. Not classifying herself as a "picketing girl", Rachel Bédard was mostly intrigued by the vitality of the publishing world. As for Hélène Larochelle, always interested in feminist issues that were unfortunately brushed aside by left-wing groups to which she belonged, she found in the group a way to reconcile her love for publishing and her desire for social involvement.
As the years go on, subjects and types of work become more and more diversified. Always an ambassador for the women's cause, the Éditions du remue-ménage publishing company remains faithful to the women of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Selected works published by or on the subject of Éditions du remue-ménage
Anthologie de la poésie des femmes au Québec. -- (composed by) Nicole Brossard, Lisette Girouard. -- Montréal: Éditions du remue-ménage, 1991. -- 379 p.
Barrière, Caroline. -- "L'Édition au féminin : remue-ménage". -- Le Droit. -- (March 8, 1997). -- P. A3
Boisclair, Isabelle. -- L'Édition féministe au Québec : les Éditions de la pleine lune et les Éditions du remue-ménage, 1975-1990. [microform]. -- Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1995. -- 4 microfiches. -- (Canadian theses on microfiche). -- M.A. thesis, Université de Sherbrooke, 1995.
Femmes et représentation politique au Québec et au Canada. -- Edited by Manon Tremblay and Caroline Andrew. -- Montréal: Éditions du remue-ménage, 1997. -- 276 p.
Monet-Chartrand, Simone. -- Ma vie comme rivière. -- Montréal: Éditions du remue-ménage, 1981-1992. -- 4 vol.
Théâtre des cuisines. -- Môman travaille pas, a trop d'ouvrage ! -- Montréal: Éditions du remue-ménage, 1976. -- 78 p.
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