It all started in 2007, with a story of friendship between a handful of novelists, Emmanuelle de Boysson, Jessica Nelson, Stéphanie Janicot, Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonnerre and myself, and a book lover, Carole Chrétiennot, who takes care of the communication of a legendary place loved by artists: the Closerie des Lilas. The famous Parisian brasserie of Montparnasse previously hosted Hemingway, Verlaine and Tamara de Lempicka.
Thus was born the Closerie de Lilas prize, which aims to highlight women’s literature and which crowns the work of a French-speaking author in April each year at the Closerie. Another particularity, the founding jury invites a rotating jury composed of women from the world of art, letters and culture. So these are women who vote for a woman. For this 2024 edition, the eighteenth, our president was Claire Chazal, surrounded by Bérénice Bejo, Claire Berest, Anne Goscinny, Leïla Kaddour, Catherine Meurisse and Helena Noguerra. With our jurors, the debates are fascinating! Opinions sometimes differ, but we always manage to agree on our winner.
And this year, it was Arièle Butaux who won the prize, with her novel “Le Cratère”, which describes with dignity and grace the lack of a brother like no other. A short novel of great depth which completely shocked the jury.
“Le Cratère”, by Arièle Butaux, Sabine Wespieser Editor, 125 pages, 17 euros.
