It was a little before 1 p.m. when Suzanne Richy walked on stage, in silence. At his side, twelve other high school students who, like this teenager from Vitré (35), are not leading well. Under the gold of Rennes town hall, the troupe comes, this Thursday, November 28, to reveal the name of the winner of the 2024 high school students' Goncourt. At 1:02 p.m., very precisely, the news breaks: the literary prize is awarded to Sandrine Collette for his novel “Madelaine Before Dawn”. The story of a small village where a little girl arrives who questions the balance in place.
“Among the five works still in the running, we chose this one because it resonates strongly with young people. It is a timeless book with, despite everything, current themes: inequalities, solidarity in the face of injustice, youth rebellion, climate crisis, etc.,” explains the president of the jury, Cassidy Sydol, 17 years old. Was the decision easy to make? “There were a lot of debates,” confesses the high school student, in her final year at Fort-de-France, “but we managed to decide according to our tastes. »
Literary journey
For the members of the jury, it is the end of a long literary journey, which began in September in their respective classes. More than 2,000 took part. At the Bertrand-d'Argentré high school in Vitré, it was a second class, that of Suzanne, 15 years old, who embarked on the adventure. Under the leadership of Marie Bertheux, French professor, and Gwénaëlle Gallou, librarian professor, they studied the 14 novels from the initial selection. “Only positive! », says Manon. A point of view shared by his comrade Ibrahima: “I had stopped reading a little but it forced me to get back into it and it also led me to read things that I would never have read.” For Lucie, on the other hand, the competition was synonymous with “a lot of responsibility” because this prize, traditionally the second best-selling in France, “can change the life of an author”.
“Make my parents proud”
Chosen to represent her class at the regional level, Suzanne la Bretonne is the only one in the West to have subsequently joined the national jury. “It was exciting, unique, a real responsibility […] It will mark my life forever,” says the woman who cultivated a taste for reading thanks to a mother who was passionate about literature. “Participating in this award makes my parents proud, it’s very important to me…”
Cassidy saw it as “a challenge”. “With the courses on the side, the baccalaureate to prepare for, it wasn't easy but I succeeded with a lot of discipline,” says the young Martinican. It was also fun because I love reading basically.” Above all, she learned a lot during this adventure. In particular to understand the unsaid things behind the words of a story. An “unforgettable experience” and a real plus for the rest of your studies.
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