Awarding of 2011 literary prizes

Académie française prize for novel: Sorj Chalandon, Retour à Killybegs (Return to Killybegs)

Académie française prize for novels was awarded on the 28^th of October 2011 to Sorj Chalandon for "Retour à Killybegs" (Grasset), a book on Northern Ireland and the bitter pain of betrayal. Sorj Chalandon, who was also a on the shortlist for the Goncourt and the Interallié, was chosen "in the first round of voting, by 13 votes out of 20", Hélène Carrère d'Encausse, the secretary for life of the Académie française announced, and who thus opened the autumn season of literary prizes. "We liked everything about his book: the story and the language but it is also in recognition all of the author's works", Hélène Carrère d'Encausse stressed.

Goncourt prize: Alexis Jenni, L’Art français de la guerre

On the 2^nd of November, the prestigious Goncourt prize was awarded to Alexis Jenni for his first novel L’Art français de la guerre (Gallimard). This fascinating panorama, from Indochina to Algeria, questions the legacy of colonial wars. The author, a 48 year old biology teacher in Lyons, dedicated five years to his book, an adventure story and discussion of the legacy of colonial conflicts. "Since I finished my studies, twenty years ago, I have written several things that have not worked. So, I said to myself that I would always be a Sunday writer, like you have Sunday painters" he humorously confided recently. In 2010, the Goncourt consecrated a media star, Michel Houellebecq, for "La carte et le territoire" (Flammarion).

Renaudot Prize: Emmanuel Carrère, Limonov

On the 2^nd of November, the French writer Emmanuel Carrère won the Renaudot prize for "Limonov" (P.O.L), dedicated to the nefarious life of the eponymous Russian poet and dissident, who lived for a short time in Paris. Emmanuel Carrère, the author of "Un Roman russe" (2007) and "D’autres vies que la mienne" (2009), was delighted that his novel has enable people to "get to know this character", who was also an underground idol under Brejnev and founder of an ultra-nationalist party in Russia. "I am extremely happy" to have won the Renaudot, declared Emmanuel Carrère to AFP shortly after the award of the prize. "Limonov will not have been expecting it. Naturally, I'll tell him about it very soon", he added. "Without false modesty, I have undoubtedly revealed this character to a lot of people who did not know him before with this book and I am pleased to have done it", he reckoned.

Prix Médicis: Mathieu Lindon, Ce qu'aimer veut dire

On Friday 4 November, the prix Médicis (the French literary prize) was awarded to Mathieu Lindon for Ce qu'aimer veut dire (What Loving Means) (P.O.L), a sincere and moving tribute to his friend, the philosopher Michel Foucault, who died in 1984, and his father Jérôme Lindon, the charismatic boss of Editions de Minuit who died in 2001. "It was quite unexpected”, reacted Mathieu Lindon. "I tried to show what love means”, he explained to AFP, adding: "I simply told the story of a son who is able to move away from the family environment thanks to the proximity of a friend yet retain the best part of it". "I try to show that as the years go by people develop a more precise or more imprecise idea about love, that maybe there is no difference between the love one feels for one’s friend, father, partner or lover", he told AFP.

Prix Médicis essai: Sylvain Tesson, Dans les forêts de Sibérie

On 4 November, the Médicis jury decided to award the prix de l’Essai (non-fiction award) to Sylvain Tesson for his book Dans les forêts de Sibérie (In the Forests of Siberia) (Gallimard). Tens of thousands of readers have immersed themselves in the author’s exile in a cabin on the banks of Lake Baikal. Acclaimed by the public and in the running this autumn for the Renaudot, Médicis and Femina literary awards, this travelling, globetrotting writer spent six months in an isolated cabin measuring just 9 m², on the western banks of Lake Baikal.

Prix Médicis étranger: David Grossman, Woman Flees Tidings

With Woman Flees Tidings (Seuil), awarded the prix Médicis étranger (foreign novel section), the Israeli writer David Grossman pulls off the amazing feat of offering an ode to life and love against a backdrop of the constant fear of death. In this majestic, harrowing novel, the narrator steps into the shoes of Ora, recently separated from her husband, Ilan. According to the publisher, 50,000 copies of this novel, a best-seller in Israel and translated from the Hebrew by Sylvie Cohen, have been sold in France since the beginning of the autumn. David Grossman’s oldest son was killed in Lebanon whilst the book was being written.

Prix Femina: Simon Liberati, Jayne Mansfield 1967

On 7 November, the prix Femina (Femina literary prize) was awarded to Simon Liberati for Jayne Mansfield 1967 (Grasset), a meditation on the buxom blonde and sex symbol, who so wanted to be a star but, broken by Hollywood, ended up as bimbo trash, before dying on a road, her skull smashed, at just 34 years old.

Prix Femina essais: Laure Murat, L'Homme qui se prenait pour Napoléon - The Man who thought he was Napoleon

L'Homme qui se prenait pour Napoléon (Gallimard), written by Laure Murat and which won the prix Femina essais (Femina non-fiction prize) on 7 November, is a historical study of the link between political events and madness. Subheaded Pour une histoire politique de la folie (For a political history of madness), this essay draws on original archives and medical case studies.

Prix Femina étranger: Francisco Goldman, The Wave

On 7 November, the American Francisco Goldman was awarded the prix Femina étranger (Femina prize, foreign novel section) for The Wave (Christian Bourgois), a book which attempts to bring back to life his young wife, swept to her death by a murderous wave in Mexico 4 years ago. "The Wave" was translated from American English into French (under the title “Dire son nom”) by Guillemette de Saint-Aubin.

Prix Goncourt des lycéens: Carole Martinez, Du Domaine des Murmures

The 24^th prix Goncourt des lycéens (Goncourt prize for best novel, as voted by high school students) was awarded to Carole Martinez on 7 November for Du Domaine des Murmures (Gallimard), a lyrical and poetic novel “offering a different vision of the world” according to the chairman of the jury.

Prix Renaudot des lycéens: Delphine de Vigan, Rien ne s'oppose à la nuit - Nothing can stop the night

On 8 November, the prix Renaudot des lycéens (Renaudot prize for best novel, as voted by high school students) was awarded to Delphine de Vigan for Rien ne s'oppose à la nuit (Lattès), a book that plunges us into the heart of family memories and deeply buried secrets.