Inaugural US Goncourt Prize Selection Ceremony
Talk
Book covers of the 9 shortlisted Goncourt books
Villa Albertine is proud to host the first US Goncourt Prize Selection at Albertine Bookstore, culminating in a ceremony featuring a conversation with the Prize’s student jurors and moderated by Honorary Chair Siri Hustvedt!
The Prix Goncourt is France’s most prestigious literary prize. International Goncourt Selections—established for the first time in 1998 in Poland and now made by university students in more than 20 countries—are a global literary barometer, gauging how the Goncourt Prize shortlist resonates with different young audiences around the world. This year, the International Goncourt Selection comes to the United States for the first time, presented by the Académie Goncourt and organized and supported by Villa Albertine.
The jurors are French literature students, coming from five distinguished American universities: Duke, Harvard, NYU, Princeton, and Yale. They have spent months studying the nine books shortlisted in the second round of the 2021 Prix Goncourt.
On April 30 at Albertine Books, they will convene, debate, and select their winner. Hosted by Honorary Chair Siri Hustvedt, the ceremony will begin at 5pm and will be followed by a cocktail reception.
The 9 shortlisted books are as follows:
- Le voyage dans l’Est, by Christine Angot, published by Editions Flammarion
- La carte postale, by Anne Berest, published by Editions Grasset et Fasquelle
- Enfant de salaud, by Sorj Chalandon, published by Editions Grasset et Fasquelle
- Milwaukee blues, by Louis-Philippe Dalembert, published by Editions Sabine Wespieser
- L’éternel fiancé, by Agnes Desarthe, published by Editions de L’Olivier
- S’adapter, by Clara Dupont-Monod, published by Editions Stock
- Le voyant d’Étampes, by Abel Quentin, published by Editions de L’Observatoire
- La plus secrète mémoire des hommes, by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, published by Editions Philippe Rey and Jimsaan Publishing House
- La fille qu’on appelle, by Tanguy Viel, published by Editions de Minuit
We would also like to address our special thanks to Philippe Claudel, Secretary General of the Académie Goncourt, for his virtual introduction.
Proof of vaccination is required and will be checked at the door.
Can’t join us in person? Watch the ceremony live on Facebook!
