Alexis Jenni (born 1963) is a French novelist and

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

teacher. His

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

, '' The French Art of War'', won the 2011

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 ...

, France's most prestigious

literary award A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award ceremony. Ma ...

."French identity debate inspired Goncourt literary prize winner Jenni"
RFI English. 2 November 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

Biography

Jenni was born in 1963 in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

, France. A father of three, he has a degree in biology, and is a professor in the

life sciences This list of life sciences comprises the branches of science that involve the scientific study of life – such as microorganisms, plants, and animals including human beings. This science is one of the two major branches of natural science, the ...

at the Lycée Saint-Marc in Lyon.

Works

''The French Art of War''

His debut novel, ''L'Art français de la guerre'' ('' The French Art of War'') was published on 18 August 2011, and was awarded the Prix Goncourt on 2 November 2011. In reaction to the award, Jenni said "I didn't even think I would be published, so the Goncourt wasn't even worth thinking about." The novel deals with France's colonial history in

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

and

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, and was partly inspired by the debate on French identity that developed under the government of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...

. Rather than expressing his personal opinion on the debate, Jenni wanted to make his readers think about it themselves.Bruce Crumley
"Berets and Baguettes? France Rethinks Its Identity"
''Time''. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2012. As well as winning the Prix Goncourt, the novel was shortlisted for the

Prix Médicis The Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by and . It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match his talent." The award goes to a work of fiction in the French language. In 19 ...

and the

Prix Femina The Prix Femina is a French literary prize created in 1904 by 22 writers for the magazine '' La Vie heureuse'' (today known as '' Femina''). The prize is decided each year by an exclusively female jury. They reward French-language works written ...

. ''L'Art français de la guerre'' was technically Jenni's third novel, but was the first to be published. He had previously written a novel which he never submitted to a publisher, and another which was not accepted. According to Jenni, ''L'Art français de la guerre'' took five years to write. He stated that he was a "Sunday writer, just as there are Sunday painters."

''Le Passeport de monsieur Nansen''

This book about

Fridtjof Nansen Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (; 10 October 186113 May 1930) was a Norwegian polymath and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He gained prominence at various points in his life as an explorer, scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian. He led the team t ...

was published in 2022.

References

External links

Alexis Jenni's blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenni, Alexis 1963 births Living people Writers from Lyon 21st-century French novelists French schoolteachers Prix Goncourt winners French male novelists 21st-century French male writers