The Société littéraire des Goncourt (Goncourt Literary Society), usually called the Académie Goncourt (Goncourt Academy), is a French literary organisation based in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

. It was founded in 1900 by the French writer and publisher Edmond de Goncourt (1822–1896), who wanted to create a new way to encourage literature in France and disagreed with the contemporary policies of the

Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

Formation and organization

Wishing to honor his deceased brother

Jules Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). It is the given name of: People with the name * Jules Aarons (1921–2008), American space physicist and photographer * Jules Abadie (1876–1 ...

(1830–1870), Goncourt bequeathed his estate to establish an organization to promote literature in France. He named his friend, the writer

Alphonse Daudet Alphonse Daudet (; 13 May 184016 December 1897) was a French novelist. He was the husband of Julia Daudet and father of Edmée, Léon and Lucien Daudet. Early life Daudet was born in Nîmes, France. His family, on both sides, belonged to the ...

, along with

Léon Hennique Léon Hennique (4 November 1850 – 25 December 1935) was a French naturalistic novelist and playwright. Life Léon Hennique was born in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, the son of the naval infantry officer Agathon Hennique. He studied painting, but ...

, to oversee and administer his estate. The society was to consist of ten members, of whom eight were nominated in the will. Each of the members was to receive an annuity of 6,000

francs The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' ( King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th cent ...

, and a yearly prize of 5,000 francs was to be awarded to the author of some work of fiction. After some litigation, the academy was constituted in 1903. Since then, each December, a ten-member board of the Académie has awarded the ''

Prix Goncourt The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward o ...

'' for the best work of fiction of the year. Membership is reserved to writers who have produced works in the French language, but it is not limited to citizens of France. In 1996, the Spanish novelist and scriptwriter Jorge Semprún was elected as the first foreigner to become a member of the academy. In addition to the Prix Goncourt, which comes with a symbolic cheque of 10 euros, the Académie Goncourt awards honors for first novel and achievements in short story, poetry and biography genres. The ten members of the academy are usually called ''les Dix'' (the Ten). They meet the first Tuesday of each month, except in summer. Since 1914, they have convened in an oval room, the ''salon Goncourt'', on the second floor of the Restaurant

Drouant ''Drouant'' is a well-known restaurant located in the Palais Garnier neighborhood in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, France. It was founded in 1880 by Charles Drouant. The restaurant has been receiving the jury of the Prix Goncourt every year ...

, place Gaillon, in the heart of Paris. The

cutlery Cutlery (also referred to as silverware, flatware, or tableware), includes any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in Western culture. A person who makes or sells cutlery is called a cutler. The city of Sheffie ...

which they use while dining there constitutes the main physical continuity of the academy. Each new member receives the fork and knife of the member whom he (or she) is replacing, and the member's name is engraved on the knife and the fork.

Current members

As of 2020, the members of the Académie Goncourt are: * Didier Decoin, elected 1995; President * Françoise Chandernagor, elected 1995; Vice President * Tahar Ben Jelloun, elected 2008 *

Patrick Rambaud Patrick Rambaud (born 21 April 1946) is a French writer. Life Born in Paris, France, with Michel-Antoine Burnier, he wrote forty pastiches, (satirical novels). They wrote ''Le Journalisme sans peine'' (Editions Plon, 1997). In 1970, he help foun ...

, elected 2008 * Philippe Claudel, elected 2012; Secretary General * Pierre Assouline, elected 2012 * Paule Constant, elected 2013 * Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, elected 2016 * Pascal Bruckner, elected 2020 * Camille Laurens, elected 2020

Academicians by seat

1st Seat

* 1900–1942 : Léon Daudet * 1942–1944 :

Jean de La Varende Jean de La Varende (24 May 1887 at the Château de Bonneville in Chamblac, Eure – 8 June 1959) was a French writer. He wrote novels, short stories, biographies and monographs, in particular on the subject of Normandy. He initially tried to ...

* 1944–1954 :

Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...

* 1954–1970 : Jean Giono * 1971–1977 : Bernard Clavel * 1977–2004 :

André Stil André Stil (1 April 1921 – 3 September 2004) was a French novelist, short story writer, occasional poet, and political activist. A lifelong militant, he became a member of the French Communist Party in 1940, and remained loyal to the party. ...

* 2004–2019 :

Bernard Pivot Bernard Pivot (; born 5 May 1935) is a French journalist, interviewer and host of cultural television programmes. He was chairman of the Académie Goncourt from 2014 to 2020. Biography Pivot was born in Lyon, the son of two grocers. During Wor ...

* 2020–present : Pascal Bruckner

2nd Seat

* 1900–1907 :

Joris-Karl Huysmans Charles-Marie-Georges Huysmans (, ; 5 February 1848 – 12 May 1907) was a French novelist and art critic who published his works as Joris-Karl Huysmans (, variably abbreviated as J. K. or J.-K.). He is most famous for the novel '' À rebou ...

* 1907–1910 : Jules Renard * 1910–1917 : Judith Gautier * 1918–1924 : Henry Céard * 1924–1939 : Pol Neveux * 1939–1948 :

Sacha Guitry Alexandre-Pierre Georges "Sacha" Guitry (; 21 February 188524 July 1957) was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the boulevard theatre. He was the son of a leading French actor, Lucien Guitry, and follo ...

* 1949–1983 : Armand Salacrou * 1983–2016 : Edmonde Charles-Roux * 2016–present : Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt

3rd Seat

* 1900–1917 :

Octave Mirbeau Octave Mirbeau (16 February 1848 – 16 February 1917) was a French novelist, art critic, travel writer, pamphleteer, journalist and playwright, who achieved celebrity in Europe and great success among the public, whilst still appealing to the ...

* 1917–1947 : Jean Ajalbert * 1947–1973 : Alexandre Arnoux * 1973–1995 : Jean Cayrol * 1995–present : Didier Decoin

4th Seat

* 1900–1940 :

J.-H. Rosny aîné J.-H. Rosny aîné was the pseudonym of Joseph Henri Honoré Boex (17 February 1856 – 11 February 1940), a French author of Belgian origin who is considered one of the founding figures of modern science fiction. Born in Brussels in 1856, he w ...

* 1940–1942 :

Pierre Champion Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

* 1943–1971 : André Billy * 1971–2012 : Robert Sabatier * 2013–present : Paule Constant

5th Seat

* 1900–1948 :

J.-H. Rosny jeune J.-H. Rosny jeune was the pseudonym of Séraphin Justin François Boex (July 21, 1859 – July 21, 1948), a French author of Belgian origin who, along with his better known older brother J.-H. Rosny aîné, is considered one of the founding fi ...

* 1948–1967 :

Gérard Bauër Gérard (French: ) is a French masculine given name and surname of Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constitue ...

* 1967–1968 :

Louis Aragon Louis Aragon (, , 3 October 1897 – 24 December 1982) was a French poet who was one of the leading voices of the surrealist movement in France. He co-founded with André Breton and Philippe Soupault the surrealist review '' Littérature''. He w ...

* 1969–1983 : Armand Lanoux * 1983–2008 : Daniel Boulanger * 2008–present :

6th Seat

* 1900–1935 :

* 1936–1950 : Léo Larguier * 1951–1977 :

Raymond Queneau Raymond Queneau (; 21 February 1903 – 25 October 1976) was a French novelist, poet, critic, editor and co-founder and president of Oulipo (''Ouvroir de littérature potentielle Oulipo (, short for french: Ouvroir de littérature potentiell ...

* 1977–2008 : François Nourissier * 2006–present : Tahar Ben Jelloun

7th Seat

* 1900–1918 :

Paul Margueritte Paul Margueritte (20 February 1860 – 29 December 1918) was a French amateur mime who wrote several pantomimes, most notably ''Pierrot assassin de sa femme'' (Théâtre de Valvins, 1881) and, in collaboration with Fernand Beissier, ''Colombine ...

* 1919–1923 : Émile Bergerat * 1924–1937 : Raoul Ponchon * 1938–1948 : René Benjamin * 1949–1971 : Philippe Hériat * 1972–2011 : Michel Tournier * 2011–2015 :

Régis Debray Jules Régis Debray (; born 2 September 1940) is a French philosopher, journalist, former government official and academic. He is known for his theorization of mediology, a critical theory of the long-term transmission of cultural meaning in ...

* 2016–2020 : Virginie Despentes * 2020–present : Camille Laurens

8th Seat

* 1900–1926 : Gustave Geffroy * 1926–1929 : Georges Courteline * 1929–1973 : Roland Dorgelès * 1973–1995 :

Emmanuel Roblès Emmanuel Roblès (4 May 1914 in Oran, French Algeria – 22 February 1995 in Boulogne, Hauts-de-Seine) was a French author. He was elected a member of the Académie Goncourt in 1973. He was one of many influential "pied-noir" of his time. The ...

* 1995–present : Françoise Chandernagor

9th Seat

* 1900–1925 : Élémir Bourges * 1926–1937 : Gaston Chérau * 1937–1958 : Francis Carco * 1958–1996 : Hervé Bazin * 1996–2011 : Jorge Semprún * 2012–present : Philippe Claudel

10th Seat

* 1900–1949 :

Lucien Descaves Lucien Descaves (16 March 1861– 6 September 1949) was a French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accent ...

* 1950–1970 :

Pierre Mac Orlan Pierre Mac Orlan, sometimes written MacOrlan (born Pierre Dumarchey, February 26, 1882 – June 27, 1970), was a French novelist and songwriter. His novel ''Quai des Brumes'' was the source for Marcel Carné's 1938 film of the same name, starring ...

* 1970–2011 : Françoise Mallet-Joris * 2012–present : Pierre Assouline

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Academie Goncourt French writers' organizations Organizations established in 1900 1900 establishments in France Arts organizations established in 1903