After the prestigious Goncourt and Renaudot lists, the jury of the Friday Prize, which celebrates adolescent literature in the French language, met to establish a selection of ten French-speaking works intended for those over 13, published between October 1 of previous year and September 30.
“This list,” explains Françoise Dargent, editor-in-chief of Culture at Le Figaro and author of three children’s novels, “illustrates the different trends found in children’s literature today. It includes realistic novels, adventure novels and fantasy.” And added: “This is the 7th edition of the prize. As general literature has its Goncourt, we would like this prize to be the Goncourt of youth, that it not only recognizes a novel, but a writer.”
The full list:
• On behalf of Chris, Claudine Desmarteau, Gallimard Jeunesse.
• Eighteen years old, not too dumb, Quentin Leseigneur, Sarbacane.
• Lead role, Mikaël Ollivier, Thierry Magnier.
• The breath of the puma, Laurine Roux, The school of leisure.
• Of tears and foam, Stéphane Michaka, Pocket jeunesse.
• This is (not) a love letter, Anouk Filippini, Auzou.
• Octave, Arnaud Cathrine, Robert Laffont.
• The last season of Selim, Pascale Quiviger, Rouergue.
• All Our Ordinary Dreams, Élodie Chan, Sarbacane.
• Griffes, Malika Ferdjoukh, The school of leisure.
The Friday Prize was created in 2016 by the group of Youth publishers of the National Union of Publishing in order to “promote the dynamism and the quality of creation of contemporary children’s literature”, we read in a press release. The name of the winner, who will succeed Claire Castillon, winner of the Friday 2022 prize, will be announced on Monday, November 13.
The Friday 2023 Prize jury is made up of: Raphaële Botte, journalist for the Books supplement of Mon Quotidien, for the magazine Lire and for Télérama, Claire Castillon, author winner of the Friday 2022 Prize, Philippe-Jean Catinchi, culture editor at Le Monde, Françoise Dargent, editor-in-chief Culture at Le Figaro and author of three children’s novels, Marie Desplechin, journalist and author of children’s and adult books, Nathalie Riché, children’s literature critic, Simon Roguet, bookseller, Librairie M’Lire (Laval), Sophie Van der Linden, novelist and critic, specialist in contemporary children’s literature.
