The work was chosen from a list of 16 books after a selection process that brought together nearly 600 inmates from 45 different establishments.
The third edition of the Goncourt prize for prisoners has its winner. And it was the author Sandrine Colette who was rewarded for her novel Madelaine before dawnpublished by JC Lattès.
The Ministry of Justice announced this on Tuesday, December 17, in a press release published at the end of a national deliberation behind closed doors at the National Book Center, bringing together the detained persons selected to represent each interregional directorate. The work was acclaimed among a list of 16 books preselected by the Académie Goncourt.
Madelaine before dawn tells the story of a small isolated hamlet, Les Montées, where the inhabitants lead a life of struggle. The arrival of Madelaine, a hungry and wild little girl, upsets this balance. Adopted by the community, she captivates with her energy, but a disturbing glint shines in her eyes.
« With Madelaine before dawnSandrine Collette questions the order of things, probes the instinct for revolt, and offers us, served by dazzling writing, an ode to family ties », Indicates publisher JC Lattès.
Three months of readings, debates and meetings
The announcement of the award closes a selection process launched on September 5 at the Laon penitentiary center (Aisne). A collaboration between the prison administration and the National Book Center, under the patronage of the Académie Goncourt.
16 books were selected by the latter. A phase of reading, workshop-debates and meetings with the authors then opened until November 25, before interregional deliberations during which the representatives of each penitentiary establishment of the interregional management defended the three books selected by their group, and together agreed on three works, before the final deliberation today.
Throughout the process, nearly 600 inmates, in 45 penitentiary establishments, met every week for three months, details the Ministry of Justice, which assures that “ the sworn prisoners developed their interest in reading and their critical sense, and worked on public speaking and collective reflection based on listening “. Several dozen cultural coordinators, prison integration and probation advisors, teachers and external partners also came together to support the jurors and lead the workshops.
During the last edition in 2023, the Goncourt prize for prisoners was awarded to Moktar Amoudi for his novel The ideal conditionspublished by Gallimard.
Alexis Duvauchelle
