UPDATE DAY
Olivier Simard knows how to make his fans wait: three years after the sixth volume of his popular Youtubeurs series, he offers Finally a new part. And this seventh volume clearly demonstrates that the author knows how to offer a work that more than meets the expectations of his readers!
The first volumes of your series Youtubers have been appearing at a fairly rapid pace. Why did you wait three years before the seventh installment?
Initially, the intention was to stop at six pounds. However, I had finished the sixth volume with an end that was not quite completed… Readers wrote to me to tell me that I couldn't leave them like that! (laughs) I felt that the series deserved a volume 7 to end really well.
What did you want to tackle this time?
It's funny, because I often go there with themes that are current in my life and that will be transposed into the universe of my novels. At that time, I met a lot in school and I was sensitive to the issue of cell phones at school.
This theme is thus found at the base of this seventh volume?
I started a bit from this theme; a kind of confrontation between the students who are used to having access to technology and a new director who is very old-fashioned and anti-social networks. I wanted to question this presence of cell phones at school. The plot involves a certain revolt of the students against the director. I'm not here to say that phones are bad or good. I'm just trying to get a little understanding of both parts.
You also talk about the importance of writing French well. Why raise this topic with young people?
I really like colloquial language. The language we speak, I appreciate it. The language of young people, I like it too. Before becoming an author, I was a teacher for a dozen years. I had a fondness for the kind of ultra-rapid mutation of the language. I find it interesting as a phenomenon! Even though the books are written in colloquial language with current expressions of young people, I try to do it well. Using the language well, for me it's super important.
As a teenager, would you have seen yourself living with your friends in a basement with no food only pogos, as is the case for your characters?
I left for an apartment super young, with roommates. It is a similar trip that I experienced and that I really liked. But no, the pogos do not occupy an important place in my life! (laughs) For each volume of Youtubers, I like to have elements of popular culture that I will make a little iconic. In the first part, it was 3D puzzles. Then, my character of Henri loved Just Dance video games. For this volume 7, the pogo was a beautiful illustration of the way of life of Henri and his friends!