The Premiere Selection for Prix Goncourt 2024 was announced in Paris, France on Monday, September 3, 2023.
The Prix Goncourt is given by the French Académie Goncourt to the author of “the best and most imaginative prose work of the year”. While it only has a token prize of around 10 Euros, it can increase a book’s sales by up to 200,000 to its winner. Djaïli Amadou Amal made the shortlist in 2020, Leila Slimani won it in 2016, and Mohamed Mbougar Sarr won it in 2021.
The Goncourt Academy, chaired by Didier Decoin, is made up of Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Pascal Bruckner, Paule Constant, Patrick Rambaud, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Camille Laurens, Françoise Chandernagor, Philippe Claudel and Pierre Assouline. They have announced the first selection for 2024 with the following Writers of African descent making the cut;
- Houris, Kamel Daoud (Gallimard)
- Jacaranda, Gaël Faye (Grasset)
- Le Bastion Des Larmes, Abdellah Taia (Julliard)
- Tout le bruit du Guéliz, Ruben Barrouk (Albin Michel)
The second selection of 8 novels will be known on October 1 and the four finalists revealed on October 22. The 2024 Goncourt prize will be announced on Monday, November 4.
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