LITERATURE
Leroy awarded Prix Goncourt
Monday, November 5, 2007
The Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary prize, has been awarded to Gilles Leroy for "Alabama Song", a fictional autobiography of F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife Zelda.
Monday, November 5, 2007
By AFP
France's most prestigious literary award, the Prix Goncourt, was awarded on Monday to Gilles Leroy for "Alabama Song", a fictional autobiography of F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife Zelda.
Leroy, 48 retraced the wild parties of the "roaring" 1920s in the United States, Zelda Fitzgerald's volcanic relationship with her novelist-husband, and her decades-long battle with mental illness.
"Alabama Song" was chosen among five finalists for the prize recognizing the best novel of the year.
A former journalist, Leroy has written a dozen works including short stories since the publication in 1987 of his first novel "Habibi".
The writer won four out of six votes from the jury with the other two cast in favour of Olivier Adam, 33, for "A l'abri de rien" (Sheltered from Nothing), a tale of a woman awaiting passage to England in French migrant camps.
The 2006 Goncourt prize went to first-time American author Jonathan Littell for his 900-page work "Les Bienveillantes" (The Well-Meaning Ones) written in French as the fictional memoirs of a German SS officer.
The Prix Renaudot went to Daniel Pennac for "Chagrin d'ecole" (School Blues), recounting the author's experiences as a self-professed class dunce in France.
The two prizes kick off the French literary season with the Femina, Medicis and Interallie prizes to be awarded next week.
Leroy, 48 retraced the wild parties of the "roaring" 1920s in the United States, Zelda Fitzgerald's volcanic relationship with her novelist-husband, and her decades-long battle with mental illness.
"Alabama Song" was chosen among five finalists for the prize recognizing the best novel of the year.
A former journalist, Leroy has written a dozen works including short stories since the publication in 1987 of his first novel "Habibi".
The writer won four out of six votes from the jury with the other two cast in favour of Olivier Adam, 33, for "A l'abri de rien" (Sheltered from Nothing), a tale of a woman awaiting passage to England in French migrant camps.
The 2006 Goncourt prize went to first-time American author Jonathan Littell for his 900-page work "Les Bienveillantes" (The Well-Meaning Ones) written in French as the fictional memoirs of a German SS officer.
The Prix Renaudot went to Daniel Pennac for "Chagrin d'ecole" (School Blues), recounting the author's experiences as a self-professed class dunce in France.
The two prizes kick off the French literary season with the Femina, Medicis and Interallie prizes to be awarded next week.
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