Prix_Goncourt_de_la_Biographie

Prix Goncourt

Prix Goncourt

French literary award

The Prix Goncourt (French: Le prix Goncourt, IPA: [lə pʁi ɡɔ̃kuʁ], The Goncourt Prize) is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward of only 10 euros, but results in considerable recognition and book sales for the winning author. Four other prizes are also awarded: prix Goncourt du Premier Roman (first novel), prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle (short story), prix Goncourt de la Poésie (poetry) and prix Goncourt de la Biographie (biography). Of the "big six" French literary awards, the Prix Goncourt is the best known and most prestigious.[1] The other major literary prizes include the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française, the Prix Femina, the Prix Renaudot, the Prix Interallié and the Prix Médicis.[1]

Quick Facts Awarded for, Date ...

History

Edmond de Goncourt

Edmond de Goncourt, a successful author, critic, and publisher, bequeathed his estate for the foundation and maintenance of the Académie Goncourt.[2] In honour of his brother and collaborator, Jules Alfred Huot de Goncourt (1830–1870), the académie has awarded the Prix Goncourt every December since 1903.[2] The jury that determines the winner meets at the Drouant restaurant in November to make its decision.[3] Notable winners of the prize include Marcel Proust (In Search of Lost Time), Simone de Beauvoir (The Mandarins), André Malraux (Man's Fate) and Marguerite Duras (The Lover).[2]

The award was initially established to provide talented new authors with a monetary award that would allow them to write a second book.[4] Today, the Goncourt has a token prize amount (around 10 euros), about the same amount given in 1903, and so the prestige of the prize has been explained not because of the cash-value of the prize, but "in terms of the tremendous book sales it effects: the Goncourt winner becomes an instant millionaire."[5] Hervé Le Tellier's The Anomaly, which won the Goncourt in 2020, exceeded a million copies in less than a year after its publication.[6]

In 1987, the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens was established, as a collaboration between the académie Goncourt, the French Ministry of Education, and Fnac, a book, music, and movie retailer.

The Prix Renaudot is announced at the same ceremony as the Prix Goncourt. It has become known as something of a second-place prize.[7]

Controversies

Journalists at Le Drouant restaurant, 2016 Prix Goncourt.

Within months of the first prize in 1903, it spawned a "hostile counter-prize" in the form of the Prix Femina to counter the all-male Jury of the Goncourt with an all-female jury on the Femina.[8]

Some decisions for awarding the prize have been controversial, a famous case being the decision to award the prize in 1919 to Marcel Proust; this was met with indignation, since many in the public felt that the prize should have gone to Roland Dorgelès for Les Croix de bois, a novel about the First World War.[9][10] The prize was supposed to be awarded to promising young authors, whereas Proust was not considered "young" at 48 – however Proust was a beginning author which is the only eligibility requirement, age being unimportant.[9][10]

In 1921, Rene Maran won the Goncourt with Batouala, veritable roman negre, the first French novel to openly criticize European colonialism in Africa.[11] The novel caused "violent reactions" and was banned in all the French colonies.[11]

In 1932, the prize was controversial for passing up Louis-Ferdinand Céline's Voyage au bout de la nuit for Guy Mazeline's Les Loups.[12] The voting process became the basis of the 1992 book Goncourt 32 by Eugène Saccomano.[13]

Although the award may only be given to an author once, Romain Gary won it twice, in 1956 for Les racines du ciel and again under the pseudonym Émile Ajar in 1975 for La vie devant soi.[14] The Académie Goncourt awarded the prize to Ajar without knowing his real identity.[14] A period of literary intrigue followed. Gary's cousin's son Paul Pavlowitch posed as the author for a time. Gary later revealed the truth in his posthumous book Vie et mort d'Émile Ajar.[14]

In September 2021, the Goncourt attracted controversy after the jury decided, by a vote of 7 to 3, to include Les enfants de Cadillac by François Noudelmann on its 2021 list of finalists. Noudelmann is the partner of Camille Laurens, who is a member of the prize's jury. Laurens voted in favor of her partner's book.[15] In October 2021, the Académie Goncourt ultimately decided that it will no longer allow lovers and family members of the jury to be entered for consideration.[16]

Selection and voting process

The Prix Goncourt is divided into three selection stages. The first selection is typically composed of fifteen finalists. The second selection is typically composed of eight finalists, narrowed down from the previous fifteen. A third and final selection leaves four finalists.[17]

In the voting rounds, a maximum of fourteen rounds can be carried out. To begin the deliberation process, the names of the four finalists are placed in a champagne bucket. In turn, the names are taken out and each member of the jury votes aloud in favour of, or in opposition to, the writer. An absolute majority—more than half the votes cast—is required until the tenth round, then a simple majority is sufficient to designate a winner. If, after fourteen rounds, there is no winner, the president's vote counts as double to determine a majority vote. At 12:45 p.m., the Secretary General, Philippe Claudel, appears in front of the crowd of journalists and announces the winner. The winner typically waits in a cafe near the Drouant so that they can arrive in time. The winner is interviewed by the media and is offered a symbolic check for ten euros.[18]

Winners

More information Year, Author ...

Other awards

In addition to the Prix Goncourt for a novel, the Academy awards four other awards, for first novel, short story, biography and poetry.

As of March 2009, the académie changed the award name by dropping "bourses" ("scholarship") from the title.[35][36] The prefix "prix" can be included or not, such as "Prix Goncourt de la Poésie" (Goncourt prize for Poetry) or "Goncourt de la Poésie" (Goncourt of Poetry). For example: "Claude Vigée was awarded a Goncourt de la Poésie in 2008". Or, "Claude Vigée won the 2008 prix Goncourt de la Poésie".

The award titles are:

More information Pre-2009 award name, Post-2009 award name ...

The winners are listed below.[37]

Prix Goncourt de la Biographie

Goncourt Prize for biography. Awarded in partnership with the city of Nancy. The prize was renamed officially in 2017 the Prix Goncourt de la Biographie Edmonde Charles-Roux, after a former president of the Goncourt Academy.

Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle

Goncourt Prize for short stories. Begun in 1974 in the form of scholarships. Awarded in partnership with the city of Strasbourg since 2001.

Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman

Goncourt Prize for debut novel. Awarded in partnership with the municipality of Paris.

Prix Goncourt de la Poésie

Goncourt Prize for poetry. Established through the bequest of Adrien Bertrand (Prix Goncourt in 1914). The award is for the poet's entire career work. The prize was officially renamed in 2012 the Prix Goncourt de la Poésie Robert Sabatier, after the poet.

Bourse Goncourt Jeunesse

Goncrout Prize for children's literature. Awarded in partnership with the municipality of Fontvieille. Discontinued after 2007.

  • 1999 – Claude Guillot and Fabienne Burckel, Le fantôme de Shanghai
  • 2000 – Eric Battut, Rouge Matou
  • 2002 – Fred Bernard and François Roca, Jeanne and le Mokélé and Jesus Betz
  • 2003 – Yvan Pommaux, Avant la Télé
  • 2004 – Jean Chalon and Martine Delerm, Un arbre dans la lune
  • 2005 – Natali Fortier, Lili Plume
  • 2006 – Bernard du Boucheron and Nicole Claveloux, Un roi, une princesse and une pieuvre
  • 2007 – Véronique Ovaldé and Joëlle Jolivet, La très petite Zébuline

Prix Goncourt des Lycéens

Main article: Prix Goncourt des Lycéens

See also

For a more comprehensive overview a list of literary awards is available.

Notes and references

Notes

  1. [n 1]
    Pseudonym of Émile Chénin
  2. [n 2]
    Awarded in 1916. See footnote.[20]
  3. [n 3]
    See footnote.[20]
  4. [n 4]
    Volume 2 of In Search of Lost Time
  5. [n 5]
    First foreigner to win Prix Goncourt.
  6. [n 6]
    Published and awarded in 1946 due to WWII.
    Non-fiction memoir.
  7. [n 7]
    Refused prize.
  8. [n 8]
    The translated editions from 1975 & 2012 are the same by Martin Sokolinsky.
  9. [n 9]
    The rules of the Prix Goncourt state that an author can win only once. Gary had already won in 1956 for Les racines du ciel. However, since La vie devant soi was published under the pseudonym Émile Ajar, the Académie Goncourt awarded the prize without knowing the author's true identity. Gary's cousin's son Paul Pavlowitch posed as the author for a time.
  10. [N 10]
    First winner of the Goncourt from Sub-Saharan Africa[34]

References

  1. [1]
    Unwin, Timothy (1997). "Introduction". The Cambridge Companion to the French Novel: From 1800 to the Present. Cambridge University Press. p. xxii. ISBN 9780521499149. The 'big six' literary prizes in France have an extremely high profile and are, significantly, all awarded for novels. The best known and most prestigious is the Prix Goncourt. The other major literary prizes are the Grand Prix du Roman de l'Academie Francaise, the Prix Femina (awarded by a jury of women, though not necessarily to a female novelist), the Prix Renaudot, the Prix Interallie and the Prix Medicis.
  2. [2]
    Burke, David (2008). Writers in Paris: Literary Lives in the City of Light. Counterpoint Press. p. 181. ISBN 9781593761578.
  3. [3]
    Glyn, Anthony (2000). The Companion Guide to Paris. Companion Guides. p. 98. ISBN 9781900639200.
  4. [4]
    Sally J. Scholz (2005). The Contradictions of Freedom: Philosophical Essays on Simone de Beauvoir's The Mandarins. SUNY Press. p. 18. ISBN 9780791465608.
  5. [5]
    James F English (2009). The Economy of Prestige: prizes, awards, and the circulation of cultural value. Harvard University Press. p. 61. ISBN 9780674036536.
  6. [6]
    Girgis, Dahlia (7 May 2021). "Un tirage total d'un million d'exemplaires pour "L'anomalie"". Livres Hebdo (in French). Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  7. [7]
    Hollier, Denis (1994). A New History of French Literature. Harvard University Press. p. 967. ISBN 9780674615663.
  8. [8]
    James F English (2009). The Economy of Prestige: prizes, awards, and the circulation of cultural value. Harvard University Press. p. 61. ISBN 9780674036536.
  9. [9]
    Rodic, Vesna (2008). Lyricism and Politics in Paul Valery's Poetry and Poetic Theory and in "La Nouvelle Revue Francaise", 1909–1939. ISBN 9781109096477.
  10. [10]
    Ashley, Katherine, ed. (2004). "L'Attribution du prix Goncourt à Proust en 1919". Prix Goncourt, 1902–2003: essals critiques (in French). Bern: Peter Lang. ISBN 9783039100187.
  11. [11]
    Unwin, Timothy (1997). "The colonial and postcolonial Francophone novel". The Cambridge Companion to the French Novel: From 1800 to the Present. Cambridge University Press. p. 195. ISBN 9780521499149.
  12. [12]
    Ashley, Katherine, ed. (2004). Prix Goncourt, 1902–2003: essals critiques (in French). Bern: Peter Lang. p. 16. ISBN 9783039100187.
  13. [13]
    Lapaque, Sébastien (16 September 1999). Céline-Mazeline sur le ring (in French). {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  14. [14]
    Ashley, Katherine, ed. (2004). "Avant propos". Prix Goncourt, 1902–2003: essals critiques (in French). Bern: Peter Lang. ISBN 9783039100187.
  15. [15]
    Onishi, Norimitsu; Méheut, Constant (29 September 2021). "In Paris, It's Literary Scandal Season Again". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  16. [16]
    "No lovers allowed in top French book prize after ethics scandal". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  17. [17]
    "Prix Goncourt – Présentation". Académie Goncourt (in French). Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  18. [18]
    Carreau, Nicolas (3 November 2021). "Goncourt : comment est remis le prix et qui est le favori cette année ?". Europe 1 (in French). Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  19. [19]
    "Tous les lauréats". Académie Goncourt (in French). Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  20. [20]
    No award was given in 1914 due to the war. In 1916 two awards were given, one for 1916 (Barbusse) and one for 1914 (Bertrand).
  21. [21]
    Nène at IMDb
  22. [22]
    Raboliot at IMDb
  23. [23]
    Raboliot at IMDb
  24. [24]
    Un homme se penche sur son passé at IMDb
  25. [25]
    Les amants de rivière rouge at IMDb
  26. [26]
    L'Ordre at IMDb
  27. [27]
    Les grandes familles at IMDb
  28. [28]
    Léon Morin, prêtre at IMDb
  29. [29]
    Les eaux mêlées at IMDb
  30. [30]
    Quand la mer se retire at IMDb
  31. [31]
    Translated by David Dugan. The Dirty Goat, issue 18, pg. 170 Archived 14 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
  32. [32]
    La Nuit sacrée at IMDb
  33. [33]
    One Way Ticket at IMDb
  34. [34]
    "Mohamed Mbougar Sarr wins Goncourt Prize, France's most prestigious literary award". France 24. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  35. [35]
    Autres prix décernés par l'Académie Goncourt
  36. [36]
    Les Goncourt surfent, Le Figaro, 29 January 2009
  37. [37]
    Autres prix décernés par l'Académie Goncourt: Lauréats
  38. [38]
    "Le Goncourt de la biographie à Jean Lebrun pour "Notre Chanel"". lepoint.fr (in French). AFP. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  39. [39]
    Eloy, Morgane (3 June 2015). "Jean-Christophe Attias, prix Goncourt de la biographie". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  40. [40]
    Marie-Christine Imbault (4 March 2014). "Le Goncourt de la Nouvelle récompense Nicolas Cavaillès". livreshebdo.fr (in French). Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  41. [41]
    Auproux, Agathe (5 May 2015). "Le prix Goncourt de la nouvelle est attribué à Patrice Franceschi". livreshebdo.fr (in French). Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  42. [42]
    Dargent, Françoise (4 March 2013). "Frédéric Verger, Goncourt du premier roman". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  43. [43]
    "Le Goncourt du premier roman 2015". Academie Goncourt. 5 May 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  44. [44]
    John Dugdale (21 May 2016). "How to turn down a prestigious literary prize – a winner's guide to etiquette". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  45. [45]
    "Le Goncourt du premier roman à Maryam Madjidi". Le Monde.fr. Éditions Attila [fr]. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  46. [46]
    "Academie Goncourt".
  47. [47]
    Auproux, Agathe (5 May 2015). "Le prix Goncourt de la poésie Robert Sabatier est décerné à William Cliff". Livres Hebdo (in French). Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  48. [48]
    Gabinari, Pauline (4 May 2021). "Le Goncourt de la poésie Robert Sabatier 2021 couronne Jacques Roubaud". Livres Hebdo (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
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