Académie Goncourt facts for kids
The Goncourt Academy is a famous French group that celebrates literature. It's based in Paris, France. It was started in 1882 by a French writer and publisher named Edmond de Goncourt. He wanted to find new ways to support French writing because he didn't agree with how another big French academy, the Académie Française, was doing things at the time.
How the Academy Started and Works
Edmond de Goncourt wanted to honor his brother, Jules de Goncourt, who had passed away. So, he left his money to create an organization that would help French literature grow. He asked his friend, the writer Alphonse Daudet, and Léon Hennique to help set up and manage his estate.
The plan was for the society to have ten members. Eight of these members were named in Edmond's will. Each member was supposed to receive some money every year, and a special prize would be given yearly to the best fiction writer. After some legal discussions, the academy officially began in 1903.
Since then, every December, the ten members of the Goncourt Academy choose the winner of the Prix Goncourt. This award is for the best work of fiction published that year.
To become a member, you must be a writer who creates works in the French language. You don't have to be a French citizen, though! In 1996, Jorge Semprún, a novelist and scriptwriter from Spain, became the first non-French member of the academy.
Besides the main Prix Goncourt, which comes with a small symbolic prize of 10 euros, the Academy also gives awards for first novels, short stories, poetry, and biographies.
The Ten Members
The ten members of the academy are often called les Dix, which means "the Ten." They meet on the first Tuesday of every month, except during the summer. Since 1914, they have met in a special oval room called the salon Goncourt. This room is on the second floor of a restaurant called Drouant, located in the heart of Paris.
A cool tradition they have involves their cutlery (forks and knives). When a new member joins, they receive the fork and knife that belonged to the member they are replacing. The new member's name is then engraved on the knife and fork. This tradition helps keep the academy's history alive!
Current Members of the Academy
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As of 2020, here are the members of the Goncourt Academy:
- Didier Decoin, who became President in 1995.
- Françoise Chandernagor, who became Vice President in 1995.
- Tahar Ben Jelloun, elected in 2008.
- Patrick Rambaud, elected in 2008.
- Philippe Claudel, who became Secretary General in 2012.
- Pierre Assouline, elected in 2012.
- Paule Constant, elected in 2013.
- Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, elected in 2016.
- Pascal Bruckner, elected in 2020.
- Camille Laurens, elected in 2020.
