Feature Friday - Gabrielle Drolet
Name
Gabrielle Drolet
Pronouns
She/Her
Bio
I'm a writer and cartoonist whose first book, LOOK MA, NO HANDS, was published in 2025. I regularly contribute cartoons to the New Yorker and the Globe and Mail, and my written work has appeared in outlets like the New York Times and the Walrus. I'm currently at work on a novel.
Where in Montreal are you located?
I'm located between Villeray and Little Italy.
What do you love about that neighborhood?
I love being close to the Jean Talon farmer's market, great coffee (Ferlucci's) and incredible bread (Pain Dans Les Voiles). There are also so many wonderful bars in my area like VinVinVin and Polari. By far my favourite thing about Villeray is the people, though. I have the best neighbours in the world—the kind that would let themselves into my apartment and check if I left the oven on if I asked them to. I've also been in the neighbourhood long enough to get to know the people I share it with. There's something lovely about your Canada Post employees knowing you by name and your baristas remembering how you like your coffee.
What’s your favourite art space in Montreal and why?
Every other Thursday, there's an after school program where kids of all ages from the Mile End come together to draw and make cartoons for a few hours. I've been volunteering there for almost four years now. It's moved around a bit—it used to be at Drawn & Quarterly, and now takes place in a café nearby. So I guess it's less about the space than the kids in it. Either way, being in the presence of kids who are so creative and so excited about making art is always the most inspiring thing. I think it's easy to forget what you love about art and creation when you view it as 'work' rather than 'play', so any space that reminds me of the pure joy art can bring is my favourite space.
Describe your art in your own words.
Eclectic! I work across genres—my background is in essay writing and cultural journalism, whereas now I also work as a cartoonist and a novelist. Early in my career, I tried to narrow my scope because I believed it was important to have a specific 'beat' or thing you were known for. Now, I think having a few genres you're strong in can be a real strength. All to say my art is eclectic in style, but focused in tone and content: across genres, I'm most interested in examining queerness, disability, and culture, specifically while using humour.
What drew you to writing?
I've loved writing since I was very little, largely because I loved reading. I'd get in trouble a lot when I was really little for staying up past my bedtime to read in bed, and later to write diary entries or short stories. There was a while in university when I told myself I wanted to be a high school teacher instead of a writer, but that's only because I believed writing was unrealistic as a career. It's just always been the thing I loved most.
What have you been working on recently?
I'm working on my very first novel! I'm currently at the Banff Centre, an artist residency program in Alberta, where I'm devoting three weeks to editing it. It feels very scary.
Gabrielle Drolet’s debut book is now available at Penguin Random House.
How would you describe your voice?
I think across genres, my voice is generally funny and intimate or personal. At least, that's what I try to achieve. I want my writing to sound like a friend telling someone a story.
Where do you find your inspiration?
By reading! I read a ton, and whenever I'm working on a specific project—say, right now, my novel—I'll specifically seek out work in that genre to figure out what I love most and want to incorporate into my own writing. I also feel inspired whenever I spend time with other writers or artists. Subject-wise, my inspiration usually just comes from life and the things I'm most interested in. I'll be going about my day and I'll learn or experience something, and I'll tuck it away as something to explore in my writing later.
Describe your writing process.
I live and die by the pomodoro method. I don't know why. There's this youtube video that plays lo-fi music for 25 minutes, then stops for five minutes, then starts again. I've been using that for around six years almost every time I write. Sometimes I skip the breaks and keep writing, but usually I'll take that time to stop and stretch and evaluate what I'm trying to accomplish.
Who are some of your favorite writers?
Caroline O'Donoghue, Elamin Abdelmahmoud, André Alexis, Heather O'Neill, Donna Tartt, Dionne Brand
What do you love about Montreal's literary scene?
In my experience, Montreal is an incredibly open and inviting city. It feels like there's always some literary event on, and the people who attend them are eager to make friends or invite you into their spaces. It just feels like a city with a very accessible scene—you go to a reading or a launch, you learn about another, suddenly you're part of a community. Maybe I've just gotten very lucky, but I've been amazed at how easy it can be to connect with other writers. It's something I was nervous about when I first moved to Montreal since I wasn't in school and all my work was remote. I thought I'd feel isolated or have a hard time meeting like-minded artists. I feel so lucky that that hasn't been the case.
