Unlike the last two winners of the Prix Goncourt – Jean-Baptiste Andrea pour Watch over her (The Iconoclast) in 2023 and Brigitte Giraud to live fast (Flammarion) in 2022 –, the 2024 winner of the most prestigious French literary prize will not have needed the double vote of the president of the jury to decide a close vote.
It is even the opposite that happened, Camel Daoud having obtained the absolute majority of votes in the first round of voting for his novel Houris (Gallimard). He got ahead Archipelagos d’Hélène Gaudy (L'Olivier), which received two votes. Jacaranda of Gail Faye (Grasset), meanwhile awarded the Renaudot prize, and Madelaine before dawn of Sandrine Collette (JC Lattès), only obtained one vote each.
Kamel Daoud was widely favored by the literary press, with some seeing in Houris and « Goncourt politics », as the France Inter journalist anticipated Moryoussef's ruleinterviewed last week.
“This book was born because I am in France. It’s a country that gives me the freedom to write”
Originally from Oran, Kamel Daoud chose to live in France, three years after receiving French nationality. In Algeria, he suffered threats, his novel having transgressed an article of the charter for peace and national reconciliation, which prohibits discussing the civil war which ravaged the country between 1992 and 2002 and which killed between 60,000 and 200 000 dead, as well as thousands missing.
« This book was born because I am in France. It’s a country that gives me the freedom to write. It's not easy to talk about war, it takes time, mourning, distance. It's a book that inspires hope. », Reacted the writer, after going around the table to thank the jurors.
« There are Books that are honored by the Goncourt and books that honor the Goncourt. This one was a bit obvious and my big favorite », commented the other member of the jury Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt.
Former president of the Goncourt jury where he remained in office for three years, Didier Decoin who has found his simple juror chair, points out for his part “ a very very good book. » « The first thing is the awareness of serious events that happened in Algeria, which those responsible wanted to put under the carpet and which Kamel Daoud brought outhe added. It is also the place he gives to women, to their suffering and above all, to Arabic poetry, like the music of Scheherazade which we hear throughout the book and which enchanted me. »
Antoine Gallimardpresident of the Madrigall group, for his part welcomed the victory of Kamel Daoud with Weekly Books : « It's quite rare to have a crowned book which is both a book of great literary quality and at the same time which is a formidable political message. So we are extremely happy. »
