The young novelist of 34 years is rewarded for his book “My master and my winner”, published by Gallimard editions.
Le Monde
The grand prize of the novel of the French Academy was given, Thursday, October 28, to François-Henri, with my master and my winner, published by Gallimard editions. The young novelist of 34 years signs the story – full of literate references – a love that ends badly.
Native of Amiens, he was first professional hockeyeur, while devoting himself to writing. “I started writing at 18 after reading the Lord’s beautiful. Albert Cohen had got the Roman Grand Prix in 1968. So I’m happy,” said the winner, after proclamation of the price.
The French Academy had already handed over the AMIC price in 2013 to you will show my head to the people, portraits of characters from the French Revolution in their last moments before being guillotined.
” Confraternal gesture “
The decision was made in the third round, with ten votes for nine for Gilles Martin-Lever, author of the last tribune, telling the fictitious memoirs of an Athenian in the Rome of Jules Caesar, published at Grasset. The other finalist was Senegalese Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, with the most secret memory of men, novel published by Philippe Rey, still in the running price for the Goncourt price on November 3rd.
The finalists were present at the French Academy even if they knew the outcome of the ballot. “The Academy is very sensitive to this confraternal gesture,” said the Perpetual Secretary Hélène Carrère d’Enuck. François-Henri Deasher felt that they “deserved this price as much as [him]”.