Rennes. The Goncourt Prize for High School Students awarded to… Sandrine Collette!

Published: 6:52 p.m. by Dolorès CHARLES

It is one of the most influential literary prizes: the Goncourt des Lycéens was proclaimed this Thursday (November 28) in Rennes, the city where it was born… and it is the book “Madelaine before dawn” by Sandrine Collette, who is distinguished this year. The story of a little girl who challenges the established order, in a peasant family, in medieval times.

“This must be one of the rare times where words fail me.”

The 13 high school students on the national jury announced this decision by telephone to Sandrine Collette. “We chose this work because we were sensitive to current themes, in a novel that is nevertheless timeless… (atmosphere) We are delighted to see it chosen!” The author: “This must be one of the rare times where words fail me. My heart is beating a little too fast, it doesn't reflect joy I think otherwise I would be jumping around saying a lot of big words, but I'm going to avoid it infinitely… Thank you all!”

It was one of the favorites of Nora Lévesque, first year student at the Europe high school in Cholet, and member of the national jury. “The book is really good, just the plot, but the characters are also super endearing and interesting.

It is a book that “represents me and my generation”

There is this fact that young people are full of revolt and there to break the codes of society… It's really a book that represents us, me and my generation, and frankly, it touches on a lot of social themes . The form of narration is really interesting. This is an aspect that we very rarely see. This is the first time in my life that I've seen this type of narration in a book, and I think that's what makes the difference compared to other books.

The narrator of the book: it takes time to understand who it is, but when you know, you ask yourself a lot of questions and it becomes very interesting. This book is admirable.”

Credit : Yann Launay

This book left its mark on high school students, both in its form and in its content, as demonstrated by Suzanne Richy, a second year student at the Bertrand d'Argentré high school, in Vitré, and member of the national jury. There is “current themes… approached like a tale by La Fontaine, that is to say that it is a situation of all these themes: women's rights, the condition of animals, hierarchy within the population, the right of the strongest over the weakest, etc. She also adds touches of originality, which I cannot reveal to you because otherwise it would spoil the surprise of the book.

“The author’s entire writing is quite immersive”

It’s a poetic text. It's all the writing, all the pen of the author which is quite immersive, and that's what charmed us and which led to her winning the Goncourt prize for high school students.”

Credit : Yann Launay

The members of the national jury carried the voice and opinions of their comrades, met the authors, and debated to designate a winner. An intense and exciting adventure that Suzanne sees end with regret.

Guaranteed sales success

The Goncourt des Lycéens would increase the sales of a book, on average, by 125,000 copies. The winners of the latter, often multi-awarded, have sold between 300,000 and 500,000 copies of their book.