Goncourt Academy Announces Shortlist of Winners in Beirut

The Goncourt Prize jury in March 2020 at the Drouant
restaurant. Credit: Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP
The Goncourt Prize jury in March 2020 at the Drouant restaurant. Credit: Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP
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Goncourt Academy Announces Shortlist of Winners in Beirut

The Goncourt Prize jury in March 2020 at the Drouant
restaurant. Credit: Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP
The Goncourt Prize jury in March 2020 at the Drouant restaurant. Credit: Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP

At Beirut’s Pine Residence, the jury of the Goncourt literary prize has exceptionally announced the names of the four finalists in France's most prestigious literary prize. The name of the winner will be announced, as every year, at the Drouant restaurant in Paris on November 3.

Didier Decoin, president of the Académie Goncourt, announced the names of the 2022 finalists: Giuliano da Empoli for her book ‘Le Mage du Kremlin’ (Gallimard), Brigitte Giraud for ‘Vivre Vite’ (Flammarion), Cloé Korman for ‘Les Presque Sœurs’ (Seuil) and Makenzy Orcel for ‘Une Somme Humaine’ (Rivages). The ceremony was also attended by president Philippe Claudel, Camille Laurens, and Paule Constant.

This announcement in the Lebanese capital comes on the sidelines of the 1st edition of the “Beirut Books”- International and Francophone Book Festival.

Sponsored by France’s embassy in Beirut, the festival runs over 10 days in several Lebanese regions. This is the second time the Goncourt Academy announces its finalists list from Beirut, the first was in 2012.

Beirut Books, which hosts over 100 Francophone writers from around the world, witnessed some debate following a tweet by the Lebanese culture minister Mohammad Mortada, in which he said that Beirut will never be a route for normalization through writers partaking in a cultural event, without naming the writers or the nature of their activities.

The tweet was deleted shortly, but the debate continued between some who considered that the minister is distorting Lebanon’s reputation as the country of liberties, and others who assured that there is no room for tolerance with Israel or those who support it. However, some francophone writers didn’t wait for the end of the Lebanese debate and announced they are not willing to attend the festival because they don’t feel comfortable.

Among those are Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Pascal Bruckner, Pierre Assouline, and Tahar Ben Jelloun. When the jury members were asked about their colleagues’ decision not to attend, Decoin replied: “They said why they’re not coming and voiced their opinion about that. As for Pascal, he has a personal situation.”

Asked whether it’s because the freedom of expression, Philippe Claudel said: “The entire world has problems with the freedom of expression. Even the most democratic countries have some topics that cannot be discussed, taboos are everywhere. Even in the US, there are some terms that people cannot say. It’s a universal complication. Anyone can write whatever they want on social media, and do whatever they want, in one minute.”

“I won’t feel safe in this country where killing is so easy,” Tahar Ben Jelloun said after he announced he’s not going to attend the festival. It’s worth noting that Ben Jelloun was invited to many events in Lebanon in the past years but didn’t attend any.

The academy members who came to Beirut expressed their gratitude and joy for the hospitality and warmth they received, saying they are ready to return any time, and that they will visit different regions to meet the Lebanese people. They also said their work at the academy has went beyond reading books and selecting winners, to travelling, meeting with readers, and bringing books closer to people’s tastes, which is a very important task.

About the four winners, the jurors said they are thrilled with the results because the academy was always falsely accused of excluding women, non-French candidates, or small publishing houses.

Among this year’s winners are two women, and two men including and Italian and a Swiss. Last year, Senegalese novelist Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, and a small Senegalese publishing house won the prize.

According to the jury members, their selection was mainly based on the joy of reading and the quality, noting that they spent a lovely summer exchanging and discussing the novels. The winners were selected based on the majority of voices following democratic deliberations in a videocall that included all the jury members.



Elizabeth Strout, Miranda July are Among Finalists for the Women's Prize for Fiction

Yael Van Der Wouden arrives at the Booker Prize award dinner in London, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (ΑΡ Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
Yael Van Der Wouden arrives at the Booker Prize award dinner in London, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (ΑΡ Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
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Elizabeth Strout, Miranda July are Among Finalists for the Women's Prize for Fiction

Yael Van Der Wouden arrives at the Booker Prize award dinner in London, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (ΑΡ Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
Yael Van Der Wouden arrives at the Booker Prize award dinner in London, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (ΑΡ Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

American authors Elizabeth Strout and Miranda July are among finalists announced Wednesday for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, alongside four debut novelists exploring the search for freedom in different countries and cultures.

Pulitzer Prize winner Strout’s Maine-set mystery novel “Tell Me Everything” and writer'-filmmaker July’s “All Fours,” in which a “semi-famous artist” seeks a new life, are shortlisted for the 30,000 pound ($39,000) prize. It's open to female English-language writers from any country.

The contenders also include Dutch writer Yael van der Wouden’s postwar story “The Safekeep” and German-born poet Aria Aber’s novel “Good Girl,” about a teenager exploring her dual German-Afghan heritage.

Also on the list are Iran-born writer Sanam Mahloudji’s intergenerational family saga “The Persians,” and “Fundamentally” by Britain's Nussaibah Younis, about an academic trying to rehabilitate women caught up with ISIS, The AP news reported.

Author Kit de Waal, who is chairing the panel of judges, said that the six books were “classics of the future” that explored “the importance of human connection.”

“What is surprising and refreshing is to see so much humor, nuance and lightness employed by these novelists to shed light on challenging concepts,” she said.

Previous winners of the fiction prize, founded in 1996, include Zadie Smith, Tayari Jones and Barbara Kingsolver.

Last year, award organizers launched a companion Women’s Prize for Nonfiction to help rectify an imbalance in publishing. In 2022, only 26.5% of nonfiction books reviewed in Britain’s newspapers were by women, and male writers dominated established nonfiction writing prizes.

Winners of both nonfiction and fiction prizes will be announced on June 12 at a ceremony in London.