Simon Pare-Poupart, a Montreal garbage collector, has published a bestselling memoir that uses the trash he collects as material for storytelling [1].
The work highlights the hidden lives of urban residents and seeks to provide a voice for sanitation crews who are often overlooked by the public [1, 2].
Pare-Poupart views the items people discard as windows into personal histories. By observing the waste generated in different neighborhoods, he constructs narratives about the people who lived there and the objects they chose to leave behind [1]. The memoir, released in 2026 [1], transforms the act of waste collection into a sociological study of the city.
While some early reports listed the book as one of the most anticipated nonfiction titles of the year [2], recent reports indicate the memoir has already achieved bestseller status [1]. The project focuses on the intersection of material waste and human memory, a perspective gained from years of working on the streets of Quebec.
Pare-Poupart said the items reveal personal stories. He believes that what a society throws away is as telling as what it keeps [1]. Through these observations, the author aims to elevate the status of the sanitation profession by showcasing the intellectual and emotional labor involved in the job [1, 2].
The book has drawn attention for its unique approach to urban storytelling. Instead of relying on traditional interviews or archives, Pare-Poupart uses the physical remnants of daily life to map the social landscape of Montreal [1].
“The memoir transforms the act of waste collection into a sociological study of the city.”
This memoir represents a shift toward 'found-object' storytelling, where the discarded debris of consumer culture is used as a primary historical source. By centering the narrative on a sanitation worker, the book challenges traditional class hierarchies in literature and highlights the invisible infrastructure that sustains urban environments.
