Discover the Winner of the Fourth Annual US Goncourt Prize Selection

On Saturday, April 19, ten student jurors from 10 universities, who studied the four shortlisted books for the Prix Goncourt debated and selected the winner of the prestigious prize. This year, the participating universities include Columbia University, Duke University, Harvard University, New York University, Princeton University, University of Florida, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, and Yale University. 

In honor of France’s prominent literary prize, the Prix Goncourt and Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education have partnered with the Académie Goncourt and the French Embassy’s Centers of Excellence to present the US Goncourt Prize Selection. 

Established for the first time in 1998 in Poland and now in 40 countries, the International Goncourt Selection is a global literary barometer to gauge how the Goncourt Prize’s shortlisted titles resonate with young audiences from around the world. The selection additionally serves a dual purpose of promoting French and Francophone contemporary literary works in their original language and encouraging the translation and publication of selected titles in English. 

In addition to students’ reflections on their months of study and debate around the shortlisted titles, Honorary Chair Neige Sinno—author of Sad Tiger (translated by Natasha Lehrer, Seven Stories), winner of the 2023 US Goncourt Prize Selection and numerous international honors—joined the conversation virtually. 

Selected from a shortlist of remarkable works, including Kamel Daoud’s Goncourt-winning Houris (Gallimard), Gaël Faye’s Jacaranda (Grasset), and Hélène Gaudy’s Archipels (L’Olivier), the prize was ultimately awarded to Sandrine Collette’s Madelaine avant l’aube (JC Lattès). 

Set in the remote hamlet of Les Montées, Madelaine avant l’aube tells the story of three women, Ambre, Aelis, and the elderly Rose, who survive by working land that is not theirs. Their routine is upended by the arrival of Madelaine, a wild child emerging from the forest. Taken in by the community, she captivates with her energy and boldness, yet a troubling spark glows in her eyes—the sign of a brewing rebellion. The book will soon be published in the US by Europa Editions. 

Learn more and purchase Madelaine avant l’aube here.  

About Sandrine Collette 

Sandrine Collette, is a French author as well as a professor of philosophy and literature. She is the author of numerous novels. Her English language debut, Nothing But Dust (trans. by Alison Anderson, Europa), won the 2013 Landerneau Prize for crime fiction.