Marrakech – The French literature Goncourt Prize’s first selection is out, and Moroccan author Abdellah Taïa has made the cut with his new novel, “Le Bastion des Larmes.” With 16 titles on the list, Taïa’s latest work is already causing a buzz.
Taïa’s new work follows the main character Youssef as he returns to Morocco to sell a house he inherited after his mother’s death, under pressure from his siblings. As the protagonist struggles with the idea of parting with a place his mother carefully built, he feels as though he’s dishonoring her memory and drifting further away from her.
Coming from a modest family, the author Taïa is the second youngest of nine siblings.
He studied French literature at Mohamed V University in Rabat and at the University of Geneva.
In July 1999, the same year as King Hassan II’s death, he moved to Paris to pursue a PhD in French literature at the Sorbonne.
The list also includes Gaël Faye and Kamel Daoud, both closely watched figures in this year’s selection.
Faye returns with his second novel, following the success of his 2016 bestseller Petit Pays, while Daoud, who narrowly missed the 2014 Goncourt with Meursault, Contre-Enquête, is back in the spotlight.
The Goncourt Academy shared the update on X yesterday, stating that, “Here is the first selection for the Goncourt Prize, established today by the academicians.”
In addition to the first selection, the second shortlist of eight novels will be announced on October 1, with the 4 finalists revealed on October 22, and the Goncourt Prize 2024 winner announced on November 4.
