The 2024 Goncourt Prize, the 122nd, was awarded to the writer and journalist Kamel Daoud for his novel “Houris” published last August by Gallimard, for which he already won the 2024 Landerneau Readers’ Prize. the second from this Algerian born June 17, 1970 in Mesra near Mostaganem, naturalized French in 2020. Ten years ago, he received the Goncourt for First Novel for “Meursault contre-investigation” at Actes Sud where he revisited L’Étranger by Albert Camus. He declared when the Prix Goncourt was announced “For them, I am not a real Algerian because I do not meet their criterion: hatred of France”.
In “Houris”, Kamel Daoud evokes the “black decade” in Algeria, from 1992 to 2002, when the country was under the influence of Islamist terrorism. A civil war which pitted the political power of Algiers against several Islamist groups and caused more than one hundred and fifty thousand victims.
At Drouant, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris where the Academy meets, its new president Philippe Claudel announced the choice of the jury composed of Paule Constant, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Pierre Assouline, Françoise Chandernagor, Didier Decoin, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Camille Laurens, Pascal Bruckner and Christine Angot.
They chose from the four finalists Kamel Daoud, Gaël Faye for “Jacaranda” from Grasset who won the Renaudot prize, Sandrine Collette for “Madelaine avant l’aube” from JC Lattès and Hélène Gaudy with “Archipels” from Éditions de L’Olivier .
Aube, the heroine of “Houris” is the symbol of the silence that reigns in Algeria regarding these dark years, the Algerian power has decided to forget them, in the name of “Civil Concord”, and it is forbidden to mention them. talk. “The charter for peace and national reconciliation”, drawn up by the Algerian authorities in 2005 and which the author recalls in his novel, is proof of this.
It should be noted that Gallimard, Kamel Daoud’s publisher, is banned from participating in the Algiers Book Fair this year, which will be held November 6 to 16.
A little later, the jury, the winner, his editor and a few privileged people only had to take a few steps to reach the Drouant restaurant, a mecca of gastronomy.
The menu that was served to them will also be served to customers until December 15, six courses for 190€ or three for 130. We will add 120€ for a food and wine pairing. You must reserve 72 hours in advance.
The manager of the place, James Ney, and the chef, Romain Van Thienen, have modified the tradition of the house a little, but it still remains. Thus the shellfish put on the menu by Colette or the game, feathered during even years and furry during odd years.
This year, the theme is “Paris, gourmet capital”. It inspires opposing dishes: Quiche Lorraine and caviar; Lobster, shrimp, mussel, clam, almond; fish stock sole, caviar, Viroflay spinach; Partridge pie, breaded thigh, game juice; Brie de Meaux; Praline cream, cabbage, chiboust cream, baba, coffee…
