Before the unveiling of the winners of the 2024 edition of the Var readers' prize, the Var Book Festival was officially inaugurated by Jean-Louis Masson, president (LR) of the departmental council.
Speaking first, Josée Massi, mayor (SE) of Toulon, welcomed the initiative: “ This huge bookstore is a little piece of paradise. » The novelist Bernard Minier, honorary president of the event, for his part called on budding authors to try their luck. “ Thirteen years ago, I mailed a manuscript to five publishers, and today I serve as chair of that event. A temporary president, don't worry, I disband on Sunday », he laughed.
As for Jean-Louis Masson, he welcomed the large presence of young people. “ Reading is not dead, coming here is discovering the pleasure of books “, he insisted, while welcoming the works of Bernard Minier including “ each page calls to the next “. He also welcomed the presence of the Toulon writer Miguel Bonnefoy, winner of the Femina 2024 prize and underlined the importance of Provencal culture, recalling that Marcel Pagnol was at the center of the event for the 50th anniversary of his death.
The maritime prefect, Christophe Lucas, presented the Ancre de marine prize for a book exploring maritime themes to Arnaud de La Grange for The Promise of the Sea, at Gallimard.
Prize winners
of Var 2024 readers
The winners of the three categories of the Var readers' prize were then revealed. For the youth category, this is Silence of redby Mathieu Pierloot and Giulia Vetri at Versant Sud. It's the story of a lone wolf, sickened by violence, who takes in a little mute girl he names Red.
For the comics category, The Quest by Wauter Mannaert and Frédéric Maupomé, published by Le Lombard, is rewarded. It recounts the wanderings of Pelli, descendant of King Pellinor, who continues the hunt for the Beast in our time. The screenwriter, Frédéric Maupomé, who is also secretary general of the League of Professional Authors, took the opportunity to call on political leaders not to give in to artificial intelligence. “ More and more texts, covers, translations are generated by artificial intelligence, let's refuse it “, he insisted.
In the novel category, it is A world to remake by Claire Deya, published by Editions de L'Observatoire, which won an award. The work explores a little-known page of the immediate post-war period, the work of demining the Mediterranean coasts. “ It's a declaration of love to the south. I am very moved because I have the impression that it was heard by the readers of Var », Reacted the author, who also received the RTL/Lire magazine grand prize in March.
With 450 authors present and around twenty bookstores involved, the Var Book Festival continues on Saturday and Sunday*.
* from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Place d’Armes, Toulon.
