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France’s most prestigious literary prize, the Goncourt Academy award, has revealed its Türkiye selection, with French author Laurent Mauvignier winning for his novel La Maison vide (The Empty House).
The selection forms part of the international Goncourt program, which is conducted across 50 countries, allowing juries outside France to choose their own winning titles from shortlisted works. In Türkiye, the process is organized in cooperation with the French Embassy in Ankara, the French Consulate General in Istanbul, and Institut Francais Türkiye, under the patronage of the Goncourt Academy.
The Türkiye selection was determined through a structured literary process involving French-language reading groups based in Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, and Eskisehir. Over four months, participants discussed shortlisted works before reaching a final decision.
The jury itself was composed of academics and students from university French-language departments, chaired by Goncourt Prize-winning author Marie NDiaye. The final decision was announced during a press conference organized by Institut Francais.
Speaking at the announcement, jury president Marie NDiaye highlighted the author’s distinctive literary voice as a key factor behind the decision. She noted that Mauvignier’s writing style was seen as particularly compelling, even drawing comparisons to certain 20th-century French authors.
Emphasizing the novel’s impact on readers, she stated, "The author has an impressive narrative style. Even though the book exceeds 700 pages, readers say it is read with an addictive effect. This is very striking."
The announcement event was attended by France’s Ambassador to Ankara, Isabelle Dumont, reflecting the cultural and diplomatic significance of the initiative.
Following its selection, La Maison vide (The Empty House) will be translated into Turkish through an initiative led by Institut Français, further expanding its accessibility to local readers.
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