Académie Goncourt facts for kids
The Académie Goncourt 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 a new way to support French writing because he didn't agree with how the Académie Française (another big French academy) was doing things at the time.
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How the Académie Goncourt Started and Works
A New Way to Support French Books
Edmond de Goncourt wanted to honor his brother, Jules de Goncourt, who had passed away. So, he decided to use his money to create an organization that would help promote French books and writers. He asked his friend, the writer Alphonse Daudet, and Léon Hennique to help set it up.
The plan was for the society to have ten members. Eight of these members were even named in Edmond's will! Each member was supposed to get 6,000 francs every year. Also, a special prize of 5,000 francs would be given each year to the author of the best new story.
After some legal steps, the Académie Goncourt officially started in 1903.
The Famous Prix Goncourt
Every December, the ten members of the Académie Goncourt choose the best fiction book of the year. This award is called the Prix Goncourt. Even though the prize money is just a symbolic 10 euros today, winning the Prix Goncourt is a huge honor for any writer!
Who Can Be a Member?
To be a member of the Académie Goncourt, you must be a writer who creates works in the French language. You don't have to be a citizen of France, though. For example, in 1996, Jorge Semprún, a novelist and scriptwriter from Spain, became the first non-French member.
Besides the main Prix Goncourt, the Académie also gives out other awards. These include prizes for a writer's first novel, and for achievements in 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 the Drouant restaurant in the heart of Paris.
There's a cool tradition about their meetings: the cutlery they use for dining is very important! Each new member receives 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
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As of 2020, these are the members of the Académie Goncourt:
- Didier Decoin, elected 1995; he is the President.
- Françoise Chandernagor, elected 1995; she is the Vice President.
- Tahar Ben Jelloun, elected 2008
- Patrick Rambaud, elected 2008
- Philippe Claudel, elected 2012; he is the Secretary General.
- Pierre Assouline, elected 2012
- Paule Constant, elected 2013
- Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, elected 2016
- Pascal Bruckner, elected 2020
- Camille Laurens, elected 2020
