As every year, several authors find themselves in competition for the literary prizes which follow one another from the month of September. There is one, particularly prestigious, that you have surely heard about: the Goncourt Prize!
Do you know the little story of the Prix Goncourt?
In fact, it's been one hundred and eighteen years now that the famous Goncourt Prize has been awarded to an author every fall.
But where does this Goncourt award come from?
It was the Goncourt brothers, Edmond and Jules to be more precise, who created this famous literary prize. Writers themselves, they have vowed that part of their legacy will go to reward the best book of the year! It was therefore by will, after their death, that the first Goncourt Prize was awarded by the Goncourt Academy, which they had created in 1903.
Who is part of this Goncourt Academy today?
Ten members are part of this jury, they are all writers:
Camille Laurens, Pascal Bruckner, Didier Decouin, Françoise Chandernagor, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Patrick Rambaud, Paule Constant, Philippe Claudel, Pierre Assouline, Erice- Emmanuel Schmitt.
How does it work?
Each member reads about forty books and will defend their choices in front of the other members. Only about fifteen books will be selected for the first selection in September. The second selection takes place in October, the third one 2 weeks after and finally, the prize will be announced on November 3. One of the four finalists will be very happy to receive the oldest literary prize in France!
How much does it earn?
To be honest, it doesn't bring in much! In the days of the Goncourt brothers, the winner received a check for 5,000 francs, which at the time was a considerable sum. But now, the winner receives a check for ten Euros!! Yes, yes, you read that right! Not even enough to pay for a today’s special!!
The Goncourt Prize is nonetheless the most prestigious literary prize and when you know that a writer cannot receive it a second time, it is a real recognition! This price guarantees the winner to massively sell his novel as well as his former books!!
In the history of the Goncourt Prize, only one writer has been cunning and has won the prize twice by presenting himself the second time under an assumed name, it is Romain Gary! He won the Goncourt Prize in 1956 for his book "The Roots of the Sky", and now he again won the Goncourt Prize under the pseudonym of Emile Ajar for "La vie devant soi" in 1975. Romain Gary knows that he went too far and will refuse the award 3 days later!
A new rule.
Since this year, following a scandal which accused Camille Laurens of taking sides with one of the candidates who is none other than her companion in life, the selected authors may in no case be relatives of the members of the jury! The Goncourt prize will be forbidden to them! Too bad for those who have talent!!
Next week, therefore, still at the Drouant restaurant in the second arrondissement (this is where the members meet for a meal offered to them by the chef since 1920), the lucky chosen one will be projected in full light! The countdown has begun!
