Since 1981, the France-Lebanon Prize has celebrated the richness of literary exchanges between Lebanon and France. Endowed with €3,500, this prestigious prize rewards Lebanese authors or French writers each year with Lebanon at the heart of their work.
On November 15, the France-Lebanon prize jury revealed its five finalists for the 2024 edition, reflecting the vitality of literary exchanges between Lebanon and France. Created in 1981, this prize rewards Lebanese authors or French writers each year with Lebanon at the heart of their work.
Born under the aegis of the Association of French-language Writers (ADELF), this prestigious literary prize benefits this year from an endowment of €3,500 thanks to the patronage of Philippe Hélou. Its vocation is to highlight the creativity of French-speaking Lebanese literature, whether it concerns Lebanese writers or authors of other nationalities who have devoted their work to the Land of the Cedar.
Open to a wide variety of genres, from novels to poetry and essays, the France-Lebanon prize nevertheless requires high quality writing and original research in the use of French. To compete, works must have been published within the year, with applications being able to be submitted by publishers, authors or jury members before October 31.
Since 2016, the jury has been chaired by Georgia Makhlouf, a Franco-Lebanese writer and journalist committed to promoting Lebanese literature. It brings together personalities like Albert Dichy, literary director of IMEC, Valérie Marin La Meslée, journalist at Le Point, or professor Carmen Boustany, as well as the winner of the previous year, the writer Oliver Rohe who won the prize in 2023.
The five finalists selected from eleven competing titles are: Marwan Chahine with Beirut, April 13, 1975: autopsy of a spark (Belfond), Maroun Eddé with The destruction of the state (Books), Arielle Meyer Mac Leod for Interior views after destruction (Arléa), Yves Michaud and Etel Adnan. Angels, fog and the night palace (Gallimard), and Emmanuel Villin with Kim Philby and I (Stock). The winner will be chosen on December 3.
Over its 43 years of existence, the France-Lebanon prize has crowned great names in Lebanese letters such as Amin Maalouf in 1986, Andrée Chedid in 1990, but also more recent voices such as Charif Majdalani, Lamia Ziadé in 2017 or Sélim Nassib in 2022.
Far from being limited to a list of prizes, this prize has become a real link between the French and Lebanese literary scenes, sparking meetings and exchanges. Jacques Chevrier, long-time president of ADELF, highlighted its ability to bring together writers of all origins with the same attachment to the French language.
With the support from the outset of major institutions such as the French Academy, the France-Lebanon Prize has been able to maintain this dialogue between cultures over the decades. A role more essential than ever as Lebanon continues to experience tragedies, yesterday as today…
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