Rita Baga, une paillette à la fois

Au cours de cette conférence, l’autrice parlera du processus créatif de l’écriture de son premier livre, tout en répondant aux questions classiques qu’on lui pose fréquemment. Elle fera aussi une mise à jour sur sa vie depuis la parution de ce livre, il y a deux ans. Pour adeptes et pour non-initiés à l’art de la drag.
Au cours de sa carrière de drag queen, Rita Baga a donné plus de 500 entrevues et conférences, durant lesquelles des journalistes, des étudiants ou de simples quidams lui ont posé… toujours les mêmes questions! C'est ainsi que l'idée d'un livre sur le métier de drag a commencé à germer en elle, idée que sont venues valider ses recherches: il n'existe aucun livre sur le sujet en français.
Dans cet ouvrage, non seulement Rita nous livre tout ce qu’elle a appris depuis ses débuts dans le métier – le système de familles chez les drag queens, la création d’un personnage, le choix de chansons, le b. a.-ba du maquillage, les lieux et les conditions de travail, les dangers de la notoriété, l’évolution des perceptions face aux drag queens, l’alcool et la drogue, etc. – mais elle se confie également, à la première personne, sur les hauts et les bas de cette vie singulière, qui offre parfois des moments complètement surréels… Attention! La reine Rita pourrait en cacher bien d’autres !

L’événement se tiendra exclusivement en français.

Il se terminera par une séance de questions et de signatures. Nos amis de la librairie Le coin du livre seront sur place pour vendre des copies du livre de Rita.

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This event will take place in French only.

Everything you ever wanted to know about drag!

In this talk, author Rita Baga will dive into the creative process behind her first book, answering the questions she gets asked time and time again. She’ll also share how her life has changed since the book came out two years ago. For die-hard drag fans and newcomers alike.

With over 500 interviews and talks under her belt, Rita Baga couldn’t help but notice that journalists, students and strangers kept asking… the exact same questions. That’s what gave her the idea for a book on the art of drag, after confirming that nothing like it existed in French.

In this book, Rita lays it all out, from drag family dynamics and character creation to song selection, the ABCs of makeup, venues, working conditions, alcohol and drugs, the pitfalls of fame, changing attitudes toward drag and more. She also gives a first-person account of the highs and lows of a one-of-a-kind life filled with moments that are nothing short of surreal. Just wait! Queen Rita always has another trick up her sleeve.

Q&A with the audience and signing session to follow. Our friends from Coin du livre bookstore will be on hand selling copies of Rita's book.

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Rita Baga

Rita Baga, the iconic creation of Jean-François Guevremont, is a major name in Quebec’s cultural landscape and a high-profile media personality. A multidisciplinary artist, she pushes boundaries and actively amplifies the visibility of 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

Rita Baga shot to public attention in 2020 as a finalist on the first season of Canada’s Drag Race, marking the start of her rapid ascent. Her standout appearance on Big Brother Célébrités in 2021 further cemented her mainstream appeal. She also became the first drag artist worldwide to land the cover of ELLE and collaborate with L’Oréal.

On stage, Rita Baga broke new ground with Créature, Québec’s first major drag tour. The show ran for a record-breaking 112 performances, with over 70,000 tickets sold. She then went global as host and head judge of Drag Race Belgique.

In 2023, she added author to her resumé with Une paillette à la fois (Journal d’une reine), published by Éditions de l’Homme—a candid, deeply personal look at her rise and the ins and outs of the drag scene. That same year, she made it to the finale of Chanteurs masqués (TVA), disguised as the Lion.

2025 ushered in a whole new era for Rita, as she stepped away from lip-syncing to perform her own songs. She appeared on Zénith (Radio-Canada), released her first original album, FLASH, and set out on the Spraynet tour, backed by a band of live musicians.

Rita Baga is always reinventing herself, pursuing work across theatre, television and music, and asserting herself as a multidimensional artist and a leading voice in Francophone culture.