Jean-Marie Nadeau was born on August 15, 1948, in Lac-Baker, New Brunswick, Acadia. He studied in Bathurst and in Aix-en-Provence (France), mainly in Sociology and Political Science. He has dedicated his life to the Acadian cause (Parti acadien, SANB, SNA...) and to trade unions (MFU, NBFL). He has also worked in journalism, mainly as a columnist (Acadie Nouvelle, Telegraph Journal, L'Étoile, Vent d'Est...) and currently at the Moniteur Acadien. He has written five books, including Québec-Acadie: fini le niaisage! and his autobiography Mise-à-nu. His commitments have earned him a number of honours, including the A.M. Sormany Medal from the SANB, the Ordre des francophones d’Ameriques, the Ordre national du Mérite de la France, and the Léger-Comeau Medal from the SNA.