Four books are in the final for the Goncourt 2024, one of the most prestigious French-speaking literary prizes. It is about Houris by Kamel Daoud (Gallimard), Jacaranda of Gael Faye (Grasset), Madelaine before dawn by Sandrine Collette (JC Lattès) and Archipelagos by Hélène Gaudy (L’Olivier). The prize will be awarded this Monday at midday at the Drouant restaurant in Paris, as has been the tradition since the 1914 edition of Goncourt.
This election, decided by ten jurors, risks being squeezed between two fictions: Hourison the massacres of the “dark decade“Algerian, and Jacarandaon the post-genocide in Rwanda. According to six literary journalists interviewed by Livres Hebdo, Kamel Daoud favorite part. There are five of them to see him crowned. In the Parisian publishing world, we hear this same prediction come up very often, reports Agence France Presse.
A decision in a charged political context. Indeed, Algeria has decided to ban Editions Gallimard, which publishes Houris by Kamel Douad, the Algiers International Book Fair, from November 6 to 16. However, Gaël Faye can also count on his more popular profile, author of a bestseller adapted for cinema (Small country)musician, singer and slammer. The two authors of the last four, Sandrine Collette and Hélène Gaudy, are rather considered outsiders. “They can serve as a remedy if the jury cannot reach an agreement. Especially Sandrine Collette“, said an editor interviewed by AFP.
Important fact: the last two finals went to the maximum of 14 rounds, with five votes for one contender, and five votes for the other. In this case, the vote of the president of the jury counts doublein this case Didier Decoin in 2022 and 2023. But this president has changed. Philippe Claudel, elected to this position in May, privately made it clear that he would do everything possible to avoid this scenario.
In 2023, the awarding of the Femina prize to a Goncourt finalist, Neige Sinnohad reshuffled the cards on the eve of the election, for the benefit of Jean-Baptiste Andrea (Watch over her, at L’Iconoclaste). Gallimard’s last Goncourt prize dates back to 2020, and Grasset’s last in 2005.
