Agnès Michaux Wins 2024 renaudot Prize for Essay, Live Huysmans
PARIS – Agnès Michaux has been awarded the 2024 Renaudot Prize for essay, recognizing her work Live Huysmans (The seeking noon). The proclamation was made today, marking a significant honor in French literary circles.
The Renaudot Prize, established in 1926, is one of France’s most prestigious literary awards, often serving as a launchpad for authors and significantly boosting book sales. This year’s selection highlights a growing appreciation for biographical and critical essays within the broader literary landscape. Michaux’s win follows Gaël Faye’s 2023 Renaudot Prize for Jacaranda, which has since sold over 409,000 copies in large format and continues to perform well with the release of a paperback edition on October 1st.
The 2024 selection committee considered a shortlist including Enemy joy by Kaótherher adimi (Stock), Yann in the night by Julie Brafman (Flammarion), A book by Fabrice Gaignault (Arléa), Indian mystification by Jean-Claude Perrier (Cerf), and The wild part by Marc Weitzmann (Grasset).
Last year’s Renaudot essay winner, Failure and mat in paradise by Sébastien Lapaque (Actes Sud), has approached 8,000 sales, demonstrating the prize’s impact on readership. michaux’s Live Huysmans is expected to see a similar surge in popularity following the award.
