Already winner of the Jean Giono prize for his novel The Winter Warriors (Michel Lafon), who also appeared in the selection for the 2024 Goncourt prize, Olivier Norek has just been crowned with the Renaudot prize for high school students.
Olivier Norek won ahead of the four other authors in the running: Gail Faye pour Jacaranda (Grasset), Berlin for them of Benjamin de Laforcade (Gallimard), The Jaguar's Dream of Miguel Bonnefoy (Shore) and Masao's boat d’Antoine Choplin (Buchet Chastel).
Jury of 400 high school students
For this 3e edition, more than 400 high school students from 16 high schools in the academies of Poitiers, Limoges, Bordeaux, Orléans-Tours and Nantes, as well as two foreign establishments (Romania and Madagascar), read, debated and exchanged with their teachers to nominate the novelist, who will go to meet them in December.
Winter Warriors narrates the destiny of Simo Häyhäa Finnish soldier nicknamed “The White Death” who distinguished himself in the battles between the Finnish army and the Red Army during the Second World War and who remains considered the best sniper of all time. Published on August 29, the novel has to date exceeded 93,000 copies sold according to Gfk.
Last year, Lilia Hassaine won the Renaudot prize for high school students for Panoramapublished by Gallimard.
