Académie Goncourt
The
Académie Goncourt is a literary organization based in
Paris, France that was founded in 1900 in accordance with the wishes of French writer and publisher
Edmond de Goncourt (1822-1896), and in opposition to the then existing policies towards writers by the
Académie française.
Wishing to honor his deceased brother
Jules (1830-1870), de Goncourt named his friend
Alphonse Daudet to oversee his estate that he bequeathed for the establishment of an organization to promote literature in France. Each December since 1903, a ten-member Board of the Académie has awarded the
Prix Goncourt for the best work of
fiction of the year. It is the most prestigious prize in
French language literature, and a seat on the Board is a much-cherished position in the French literary world.
Membership is reserved to writers who have produced works in the French language but it is not limited to citizens of France. In
1996 the novelist and scriptwriter
Jorge Semprun became the first foreigner, and the first spaniard to become a member of the academy.
In addition to the Prix Goncourt, which comes with a symbolic cheque of 10 Euros, the Goncourt academy is also responsible for awarding 5
bourses of a more substantial nature.
The ten members of the academy are usually called
les dix, and they meet the first Tuesday of each month, except in summer. Since
1914 they have convened in an oval room, the
salon Goncourt on the second floor of the Drouant restaurant in the heart of
Paris. The
cutlery or tableware that they use while meeting and dining at the restaurant constitutes the main physical continuity of the academy. Each new member receives the fork and knife of the member which he (or she) is replacing, and a new name is then added on the knife and the fork.
The cooking is reported to be excellent.
*
François Nourissier, elected
1977; secrétaire général
1983, président
1996-
2002*
Daniel Boulanger, elected
1983*
Robert Sabatier, elected
1971*
Françoise Mallet-Joris, elected November
1971*
Didier Decoin, elected
1995; currently secrétaire général
*
Edmonde Charles-Roux, elected September
1983; présidente since February
2002*
Jorge Semprún, elected
1996*
Michel Tournier, elected
1972*
Françoise Chandernagor, elected June
1995*
Bernard Pivot, elected October
20041st Seat
*
1900-
1942 :
Léon Daudet*
1942-
1944 :
Jean de La Varende*
1944-
1954 :
Colette*
1954-
1970 :
Jean Giono*
1971-
1977 :
Bernard Clavel*
1977-
2004 :
André Stil*since
2004 :
Bernard Pivot2nd Seat
*
1900-
1907 :
Joris-Karl Huysmans*
1907-
1910 :
Jules Renard*
1910-
1917 :
Judith Gautier*
1918-
1924 :
Henry Céard*
1924-
1939 :
Pol Neveux*
1939-
1948 :
Sacha Guitry*
1949-
1983 :
Armand Salacrou*since
1983 :
Edmonde Charles-Roux3rd Seat
*
1900-
1917 :
Octave Mirbeau*
1917-
1947 :
Jean Ajalbert*
1947-
1973 :
Alexandre Arnoux*
1973-
1995 :
Jean Cayrol*since
1995 :
Didier Decoin4th Seat
*
1900-
1940 :
J.-H. Rosny aîné*
1940-
1942 :
Pierre Champion*
1943-
1971 :
André Billy*since
1971 :
Robert Sabatier5th Seat
*
1900-
1948 :
Justin Rosny jeune*
1948-
1967 :
Gérard Bauër*
1967-
1968 :
Louis Aragon*
1969-
1983 :
Armand Lanoux*since
1983 :
Daniel Boulanger6th Seat
*
1900-
1935 :
Léon Hennique*
1936-
1950 :
Léo Larguier*
1951-
1977 :
Raymond Queneau*since
1977 :
François Nourissier7th Seat
*
1900-
1918 :
Paul Margueritte*
1919-
1923 :
Émile Bergerat*
1924-
1937 :
Raoul Ponchon*
1938-
1948 :
René Benjamin*
1949-
1971 :
Philippe Hériat*since
1972 :
Michel Tournier8th Seat
*
1900-
1926 :
Gustave Geffroy*
1926-
1929 :
Georges Courteline*
1929-
1973 :
Roland Dorgelès*
1973-
1995 :
Emmanuel Roblès*since
1995 :
Françoise Chandernagor9th Seat
*
1900-
1925 :
Élémir Bourges*
1926-
1937 :
Gaston Chérau*
1937-
1958 :
Francis Carco*
1958-
1996 :
Hervé Bazin*since
1996 :
Jorge Semprun10th Seat
*
1900-
1949 :
Lucien Descaves*
1950-
1970 :
Pierre Mac Orlan*since
1970 :
Françoise Mallet-Joris
