Estonia to participate in new Goncourt literary prize selection process

TALLINN – This year, the French Institute of Estonia and Academie Goncourt will start cooperating in issuing a new literary prize - the Prix Goncourt winner as selected by an Estonian jury.

The Estonian jury will include French-speaking pupils, students and young translators interested in literature.

The Prix Goncourt is France's most prestigious literary prize. Academie Goncourt will select the winner from among four novels that make it to the final in the fall. The Estonian youth panel will also read the same finalists and announce Estonia's favorite.

This year, the Tallinn French Lyceum, the University of Tartu, Tallinn University and the Estonian Writers' Union will participate in Goncourt's Estonian jury. Each partner institution will select one or two francophones interested in literature and up to 30 years of age, including pupils, students, young writers or translators, for the panel of judges. The jury will be chaired by deputy director of the French Institute and linguistic cooperation attache Guillaume Raboutot.

The Estonian jury will meet in April next year at the residence of the French Ambassador Eric Lamouroux to exchange views and announce Estonia's favorite novel from this year's Goncourt literary competition.

The aim of the initiative of the French Institute and Academie Goncourt is to introduce contemporary French literature in Estonia and to involve Estonian young people in literary discussions.