Franco-Rwandan writer’s ‘Jacaranda’ wins prestigious French award
‘Jacaranda’, a poignant work exploring the profound link between history, the quest for identity and belonging to one’s land has won the Choice of India edition of the Goncourt Prize, one of the most prestigious French literary prizes. The French language novel has been written by Franco-Rwandan writer Gaël Faye.
Set in Rwanda, a country scarred by the 1994 genocide, the novel not only revisits the tragic past, but also highlights the changes underway, including judicial reforms and social transformations. Through a fluid and emotional narrative, Faye invites us to experience moments of hope, pain and resilience. The story is deeply moving, immersing us in the soul of a people undergoing reconstruction, while echoing the immense potential of the country’s future.
The award is given every year to the author of “the best and most imaginative prose work of the year”. The Goncourt Choice of India was created for Indian francophone students who love literature. It is affiliated with the Académie Goncourt. For its fourth (current) edition, the Indian jury was composed of students from nine Indian universities — English and Foreign Languages University, Pondicherry University, University of Mumbai, Savitribai Phule Pune University, University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Rajasthan, Madurai Kamaraj University, Banaras Hindu University as well as students from the Alliances Françaises network.
Over six months, the jury read the four books shortlisted for the Goncourt Prize in their original language, and discussed them with their teachers and classmates.
In a press release, writer Gaël Faye said: “I’m happy to know that this story resonated with the jury of the Indian chapter of the Goncourt prize. My novel ‘Petit Pays’ had already received an exceptional welcome during my trip to India in July 2020, especially during the Jaipur Literature Festival. I carry that cherished memory in my heart. I’m glad that this relationship is continuing with ‘Jacaranda’, which is like another piece in the same puzzle: a vast human story of exile, belonging, silences, shadows, and of the light.”
Speaking of the Choix Goncourt de l'Inde programme, the French Ambassador to India, Thierry Mathou, said: “This initiative is instrumental in making French literary works accessible, addressing the complexities of distributing French books in such a vast and diverse country.”
The Prix Goncourt was instituted in 1862 by two brothers: Edmond and Jules de Goncourt. It was originally envisioned as a lifelong stipend given out to 10 new authors every year. At the time, the sum would have been sufficient to entirely support a writer and their family, allowing them to live off their writing. The competition has evolved since — only one author is rewarded, and the money is symbolic: the winner receives a 10-euro cheque, which most recipients frame, rather than cash in. The Prix Goncourt’s popularity, however, has grown immensely: winning it guarantees book sales amounting up to 400,000 copies in average.
