Over 200 women writers denounce sexism in France's top literary prizes, all won by men

A tribune against the prize system

More than 200 women writers published a tribune on the website of the French daily Libération on Friday, 6 November, denouncing what they called the sexism of France's five main literary prizes. Signatories include Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, Virginie Despentes, Anne Berest, Adèle Yon and Nadia Daam. The initiative was led by philosopher Camille Froidevaux-Metterie and writers Louise Chennevière and Anne Godard. The authors say the system, which they describe as specific to France, does not reflect the richness and diversity of contemporary French writing.

Five prizes, five men

In the days before the tribune, the prizes of the rentrée littéraire, the autumn literary season, announced their winners. The Goncourt went to Philippe Jaenada, the Renaudot to François-Henri Désérable, the Femina to Yannick Haenel, the Médicis to Philippe Vasset and the Grand Prix de l'Académie française to Sébastien Lapaque. The Femina prize for a foreign author went to the American writer Laura Kasischke. Two smaller awards did go to women: the prix Décembre to Anne Godard and the prix de Flore to Lucie Rico.

The writers point to the Médicis shortlist as an example. According to the tribune, its jury picked Vasset as the only male author on a list that also included six women.

The writers' argument

The authors say the juries accomplished a 'heroic feat' by rewarding only men. They note that the season had been described as open, and they argue that many important books by women were praised by critics and defended by booksellers and readers. The tribune also says the books are selling, a point the writers use to challenge the juries' choices.

The signatories blame a closed system. They say the members of these grand prizes are chosen by co-optation and most sit for life, which they describe as an old patriarchal circle that works very effectively. They also argue that reluctance to reward women reflects a distance from books that give literary dignity to subjects they label 'feminine', such as incest, a theme present in several books published this season.

What the writers want

The authors call for rotating juries that are gender-balanced and represent real editorial diversity. The tribune is framed as a demand for change in how the jurors are selected and how long they serve, rather than a complaint about individual winners. The articles do not report a reply from the juries or the prize administrators.

The initiative is led by Camille Froidevaux-Metterie, Louise Chennevière and Anne Godard, and the signatories include some of the most prominent names in French contemporary literature. The dispute centres on who sits on the juries and how they are chosen, rather than on the quality of the winning books.