France Sure Does Have a Lot of Book Prizes

According to the Literary Saloon, Prix-Litteraires.net is the best place to keep track of all the longlists, shortlists, and winners of the French book prizes. It’s a bit daunting though . . .

The Literary Saloon also points out that the longlists for the Prix Médicis and Prix Renaudot have both been announced.

From the Prix Médicis, the books that jump out to me are:

• Antoine Volodine, Songes de Mevlido (Univ. of Nebraska published Minor Angels a couple years ago);

• Jean Hatzfeld, La stratégie des antilopes;

• Linda Lê, In memoriam (another UNP author); and,

• Olivier Adam, A l’abri de rien (which we have on submission).

The Adam book is also up for the Prix Renaudot, the longlist for which also includes:

• Paul Fournel, Chamboula (the current secretary of the Oulipo, I believe);

• Amélie Nothomb, Ni d’Eve ni d’Adam (a book we’re interested in considering); and,

• Lydie Salvayre, Portrait de l’Ecrivain en Animal Domestique (which sounds like one of her best).