Académie Goncourt
This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2013) |
French and Francophone literature |
---|
by category |
History |
Movements |
Writers |
Countries and regions |
Portals |
The Société littéraire des Goncourt (Goncourt Literary Society), usually called the académie Goncourt (Goncourt Academy), is a French literary organization based in Paris. It was founded by the French writer and publisher Edmond de Goncourt (1822–1896). He wanted to create a new way to encourage literature in France, and disagreed with the contemporary policies of the Académie française.
Formation and organization
Wishing to honor his deceased brother Jules (1830–1870), Goncourt bequeathed his estate to establish an organization to promote literature in France. He named his friend, the writer Alphonse Daudet, along with Léon Hennique, to oversee and administer his estate. The society was to consist of ten members, of whom eight were nominated in the will. Each of the members was to receive an annuity of 6,000 francs, and a yearly prize of 5,000 francs was to be awarded to the author of some work of fiction. After some litigation, the academy was constituted in 1903.[1] Since then, each December, a ten-member board of the Académie has awarded the Prix Goncourt for the best work of fiction of the year.
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 Spanish novelist and scriptwriter Jorge Semprún was elected as the first foreigner to become a member of the academy.
In addition to the Prix Goncourt, which comes with a symbolic cheque of 10 euros, the Académie Goncourt awards honors for first novel and achievements in short story, poetry and biography genres.
The ten members of the academy are usually called les Dix (the Ten). 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 Restaurant Drouant,[2] place Gaillon, in the heart of Paris. The cutlery which they use while dining there constitutes the main physical continuity of the academy. Each new member receives the fork and knife of the member whom he (or she) is replacing, and the member's name is engraved on the knife and the fork.
Current members
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Les_Acad%C3%A9miciens_Goncourt_%289820285024%29.jpg/220px-Les_Acad%C3%A9miciens_Goncourt_%289820285024%29.jpg)
- Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, elected 2016
- Didier Decoin, elected 1995; currently Secretary-General
- Françoise Chandernagor, elected 1995
- Bernard Pivot, elected 2004; President since 2014
- Tahar Ben Jelloun, elected 2006
- Patrick Rambaud, elected 2008
- Virginie Despentes, elected 2016
- Pierre Assouline, elected 2012
- Philippe Claudel, elected 2012
- Paule Constant, elected 2013
Academicians by seat
1st 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 Pivot
2nd 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
- 1983–2016 : Edmonde Charles-Roux
- since 2016 : Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
3rd Seat
- 1900–1917 : Octave Mirbeau
- 1917–1947 : Jean Ajalbert
- 1947–1973 : Alexandre Arnoux
- 1973–1995 : Jean Cayrol
- since 1995 : Didier Decoin
4th Seat
- 1900–1940 : J.-H. Rosny aîné
- 1940–1942 : Pierre Champion
- 1943–1971 : André Billy
- 1971–2012 : Robert Sabatier
- since 2013 : Paule Constant
5th Seat
- 1900–1948 : J.-H. Rosny jeune
- 1948–1967 : Gérard Bauër
- 1967–1968 : Louis Aragon
- 1969–1983 : Armand Lanoux
- 1983–2008 : Daniel Boulanger
- since 2008 : Patrick Rambaud
6th Seat
- 1900–1935 : Léon Hennique
- 1936–1950 : Léo Larguier
- 1951–1977 : Raymond Queneau
- 1977–2008 : François Nourissier
- since 2006: Tahar Ben Jelloun
7th Seat
- 1900–1918 : Paul Margueritte
- 1919–1923 : Émile Bergerat
- 1924–1937 : Raoul Ponchon
- 1938–1948 : René Benjamin
- 1949–1971 : Philippe Hériat
- 1972–2011 : Michel Tournier
- 2011–2015 : Régis Debray
- since 2016 : Virginie Despentes
8th Seat
- 1900–1926 : Gustave Geffroy
- 1926–1929 : Georges Courteline
- 1929–1973 : Roland Dorgelès
- 1973–1995 : Emmanuel Roblès
- since 1995 : Françoise Chandernagor
9th Seat
- 1900–1925 : Élémir Bourges
- 1926–1937 : Gaston Chérau
- 1937–1958 : Francis Carco
- 1958–1996 : Hervé Bazin
- 1996–2011 : Jorge Semprún
- since 2012 : Philippe Claudel
10th Seat
- 1900–1949 : Lucien Descaves
- 1950–1970 : Pierre Mac Orlan
- 1970–2011 : Françoise Mallet-Joris
- since 2012 : Pierre Assouline
Notes
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 231.
- ^ "Histoire", Restaurant Drouant. Note: The restaurant Drouant was founded as a bar tabac by the Alsatian Charles Drouant, who expanded it to a bistrot. It made its reputation from the fresh oysters delivered by Drouant's brother, who farmed them. Daudet was a regular, as were artists such as Renoir, Rodin and Camille Pissarro.