Created in 2010 by the Jan Michalski Foundation, the Jan Michalski Prize rewards each year a work of world literature. This multicultural prize is distinguished by its ability to honor works of fiction or non-fiction, whatever their language of writing. With an endowment of 50,000 CHF (approximately €53,000), it offers the winner the means to devote more time to their writing work. In addition, a specially chosen work of art is also given to them.
The jury for this 2024 edition, chaired by Vera Michalski-Hoffmann (publisher and president of the Jan Michalski Foundation), also included writers and artists such as Jonathan Coe (British novelist), Kapka Kassabova (Bulgarian author and poet), Andrea Marcolongo (Italian writer), Valérie Mréjen (French novelist and visual artist), Gonçalo M. Tavares (Portuguese writer) and Sjón (Icelandic writer).
“A piercing and daring graphic novel which sheds light on an opaque part of working conditions in the oil industry through the eyes of a young graduate thrown by economic necessity into a toxic universe. This visual autobiography, with clear lines and dialogues of great narrative power, succeeds in embracing the most sensitive and painful questions of our time – super-capitalism, environment, impoverishment, sexism and harassment – without the traumatic experience becoming apparent. begins his deep empathy. A masterpiece that is overwhelming in its courage. »
— Le jury
In Toxic environmentKate Beaton looks back on her two years spent in the tar sands operations of Western Canada. Constrained by financial imperatives, she describes a merciless universe dominated by harmful working conditions, extreme social isolation, and omnipresent sexism. Workers’ camps, where women are in the minority, expose workers to harassment and sometimes more serious violence on a daily basis.
The author explores the dysfunctional social dynamics of this environment. It shows the intimate and collective suffering inflicted on workers, indigenous communities and the land itself. She denounces the mechanisms of unbridled capitalism which exploits both individuals and the environment.
Born in Nova Scotia (Canada), she first became known for her humorous comic strips published online. With a degree in history and anthropology, she worked for two years in Alberta’s oil camps to pay off her student debt. This significant experience fuels his first graphic novel, Ducks : Two Years in the Oil Sandstranslated into French under the title Toxic environment. His previous work, including the famous Hark ! A Vagrantearned him distinctions such as the Harvey and Eisner Prizes.
She succeeds Karina Sainz Borgo, winner in 2023 for her novel The Third Country (translated by Stéphanie Decante, Gallimard). With toxic environmentshe places her name in a line of authors rewarded for their literary commitment and their ability to shed light on realities that are often silenced. The Jan Michalski Prize therefore aims to celebrate singular voices capable of combining narrative power and critical insight.
Find the list of French and French-speaking literary prizes
Image credits: Kate Beaton, winner of the 2024 Jan Michalski Prize
By Dispatch
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