Haitian Author Yanick Lahens awarded French Academy‘s Grand Prix du Novel
Paris, France – Haitian-French author Yanick Lahens has been awarded the prestigious Grand Prix du Novel of the French Academy, the institution announced today. The prize, endowed with 10,000 euros, recognizes Lahens’ critically important body of work and marks the beginning of the final stretch in France’s annual literary awards season.
Lahens, Chairholder of “French-speaking worlds” at the Collège de France, previously won the Femina Prize in 2014 for her novel moon Bath. A prolific writer, she has authored thirteen works encompassing novels, essays, short stories, and critical analyses of Haitian literature and childhood. The award acknowledges not just a single novel, but a sustained and impactful contribution to the literary landscape, notably her exploration of themes like exile and the complexities of historical memory.
According to Le Figaro, the Academy’s decision recognizes Lahens’ unique approach to narrating difficult histories. The publication quoted the paper’s review of her recent work, stating Lahens’ approach is “vital and touching,” and that she utilizes “a part of fiction and inventiveness, to fill in the ‘holes’ in the story, the silences…the blank pages of history textbooks.” Lahens herself acknowledges this creative process, stating she “invented [her characters] on the paths of dreams, also imagining all these women who preceded [them].”
Lahens succeeds Miguel Bonnefoy, who received the Grand Prix du Novel last year for The Jaguar’s Dream.The proclamation sets the stage for the upcoming proclamation of the Femina Prize winner in four days, followed by the Goncourt and Renaudot Prizes on November 4th at Drouant. These awards collectively represent the pinnacle of French literary recognition.
