After more than three hours of deliberations, the six members of the Hors Concours prize jury distinguished The pale shadowfirst novel by David Naimpublished by Editions de L'Antilope. He succeeds Soufiane Khaloua pour The Valley of the Lazhars (Ed. August), winner in 2023. The author was awarded Tuesday, November 26 at the Maison de la voix in Paris in the presence of nearly 200 people from the book world.
The book follows the story of a man in Paris who, following the death of his Tunisian father, goes in search of his prayer shawl, as Jewish tradition requires that one be buried in it. Gilles Rozierthe editor of David Naïm speaks of a « alert and controlled writing which allows us to question what pushes each of us to connect with others. A question admirably addressed in the novel ».
Public mention for Bénédicte Dupré La Tour
For his part, Bénédicte Dupré La Tour won the public's mention for Promised Lands published by Editions du Penseur. Her book depicts a feminist version of the conquest of the West. Its publisher Jeremy Eyme describes it as “ an emblematic work which reveals the scar that bodies, History and the face of the world still bear ».
Created in 2016, the Hors Concours prize rewards each year the author of a French-speaking novel or story, published by an independent publisher. It also gives readers the opportunity to participate in the selections via a reading committee which awards a special mention. For the ninth edition, the jury was composed of Stephanie Dupays, Stephanie Khayat, Inès de la Motte Saint-Pierre, David Medioni, Isabelle Motrot et Cécile Truy.
