Christopher Butcher est un passionné. Passionné par la bande dessinée et par le travail des auteurs. Le @TorontoComics Arts Festival porte la marque de son engagement au service du 9e art. Je tenais à lui témoigner ce soir la reconnaissance de la France. @Comics212 pic.twitter.com/aoLYEQSMIF

— Franck Riester (@franckriester) October 11, 2019

Toronto Comic Arts Festival founder and artistic director Chris Butcher has been named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the government of France.

The honour is presented to artists, writers, and other cultural producers for promoting French arts and literature around the world.

Butcher, who was presented with the insignia at a ceremony which took place Oct. 10 at the Toronto Reference Library, was named for his work at TCAF promoting French authors and bandes dessinées.

Past Canadian recipients of the honour include Margaret Atwood, John Ralston Saul, and Geoffrey Taylor, director of the Toronto International Festival of Authors.