Benjamin Stock is the lucky winner of the Flore 2024 prize. The writer was rewarded, Thursday, November 7, for his first novel Marcpublished by Rue Fromentin. A victory acquired unanimously in the first round, minus one vote for Joy Majdalani pour Jessica, alone in a room (Grasset).
Selected in the second list of the First French Novel Prize, Marc humorously mishandles the mediocrity of the start-up nation, a pure capitalistic product with jargon freely mocked by its author. Drawing on his experience as a communicator for companies in the ecological transition sector, he brings to life David Baumer, successful founder of the “Share Academy”, a young tech start-up where “collaborators” are multiplying, in a artificial benevolence, meetings on inclusiveness and sustainable development.
A grain of madness
Disillusioned by this professional life losing meaning, David Baumer sets off towards new horizons. He meets Sheyene, an employee and member of an esoteric community that established the popular author Marc Levy as a prophet of cosmic truths. Under the influence, David becomes radicalized, until he sinks to the edge of madness.
With this prize, which has rewarded since its creation “ a daring young author with promising talent », the winner receives a check for 6,150 euros and the right to consume a glass of Pouilly-fumé engraved with their name every day, for a year.
This year, the jury was composed of Frédéric Beigbeder, Jacques Braunstein (editor-in-chief of Weekly Books), Manuel Carcassonne, Carole Chrétiennot, Michèle Fitoussi, François Reynaert, Jean-Pierre Saccani, Bertrand de Saint-Vincent, Christophe Tison, Philippe Vandel, Jean-René van der Plaetsen et Arnaud Viviant.
Last year, the 2023 Flore Prize was awarded to Maria Pourchet for his novel Western (Éditions Stock, whose CEO, Manuel Carcassonne, then abstained from voting).
