Rabat – French author Laurent Mauvignier has been awarded this year’s Goncourt Prize for “La Maison Vide” (Editions de Minuit), a 750-page family saga described by the jury as a “fundamental” work in contemporary French literature.
At 58, Mauvignier expressed deep emotion upon arriving at Drouant, the historic Paris restaurant where the Académie Goncourt convenes. “I feel joy,” he said. “It is an enormous recognition because this book comes from childhood and spans several generations.”
He won six of the ten votes in the first round, surpassing Belgian novelist Caroline Lamarche, who received four votes for “Le Bel Obscur” (Seuil).
The other finalists included Emmanuel Carrère for “Kolkhoze” (P.O.L) and Nathacha Appanah for “La Nuit au Cœur” (Gallimard), who had received the Prix Femina the previous day.
Philippe Claudel, president of the Académie Goncourt, described the award as “a tribute to an author with a deeply important body of work, who this year has delivered a novel that feels fundamental.”
“This is a work of great literary power,” Claudel added. “It revisits the history of the twentieth century while building something almost architectural.”
Members of the jury wore badges supporting French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, currently imprisoned in Algeria, who received the Goncourt for paperback literature.
Born in Touraine into a working-class family, Mauvignier studied fine arts in Tours before turning to writing. His earlier works include “Loin d’eux” (1999), “Des hommes,” which deals with memories of the Algerian War, and “Histoires de la nuit.”
In “La Maison Vide,” Mauvignier returns to an imaginary village inspired by his hometown of Descartes, tracing the lives of several generations from the beginning of the twentieth century.
The story centers on Marie-Ernestine, a young woman with a gift for piano who falls in love with her teacher, but is forced by her father to marry Jules and give up her dream of moving to Paris to become a musician.
Already a success in bookstores before the prize, “La Maison Vide” is expected to see its sales surge under the red “Prix Goncourt” label. Previous winners have habitually sold more than 500,000 copies.
“I have received so many messages from readers, so many words,” Mauvignier said. “It feels almost as if this book matters more to them than to me.”
