PARIS, November 7The 2023 Prix Goncourt was awarded to the French writer Jean-Baptiste Andrea, BFMTV reports.
The ceremony announcing the results of France's most prestigious award in the field of literature traditionally took place in the Parisian restaurant Drouant, broadcast by BFMTV.
The award was given to the writer for the novel “Keep an eye on her” (Veiller sur elle), which describes a love story against the backdrop of events in fascist Italy.
The 52-year-old French director, screenwriter and writer Andrea took up literature only at the age of 46. His previous novels, My Queen and Devils and Saints, also won various awards. In the world of cinema, he is known as the author of the films “Dead End” and “Complete Bummer.”
Writers Erik Reinhardt, Gaspar König and Nezh Sinno also competed for the award this year.
Last year, the prestigious award went to French writer Brigitte Giraud for her novel Vivre vite.
The Prix Goncourt has been awarded for the best novel in French for over a hundred years. It bears the name of the French classics Goncourt brothers — Edmond Louis Antoine and Jules Alfred Huot. The youngest of them, Edmond, bequeathed his fortune to the literary academy, which became known as the Goncourt Academy and established an annual prize of the same name.