The prix Breizh is a French
literary award bestowed under this name since 2001, on the initiative of
Gwenn-Aël Bolloré Gwenn-Aël Bolloré (5 September 1925, Ergué-Gabéric – 12 July 2001) was a French soldier, businessman, author, and publisher.
Biography
At the age of 17, Bolloré decided to join in the Free French Forces in England. He sailed across the En ...
. On that date, it succeeded the "Prix Bretagne" created in 1961. It crowns each year an author of Breton origin or friend of
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
.
History
The prix Breizh-prix Bretagne was founded in 1961 by Bretons of Paris, around Pascal Pondaven and
Charles Le Quintrec, director and editor-in-chief of the weekly ''La Bretagne à Paris''.
The Prix Bretagne today
The Prix Bretagne, now under the patronage of
Vincent Bolloré
Vincent Bolloré (born 1 April 1952) is a French billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and CEO of the investment group Bolloré. As of September 2021, his net worth is estimated at US$9 billion.
Early life
Bolloré was born in Boulogne-B ...
, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011. On this occasion, a monograph ''Prix Bretagne Prix Breizh 50 ans'' traced its history (list of laureates from 1961 to 2010, texts of the 12 members of the jury).
The spirit that presides over the awarding of the Prix Bretagne could be summed up by the introduction to his thanks by
Kenneth White
Kenneth White (born 28 April 1936) is a Scottish poet, academic and writer.
Biography
Kenneth White was born in the Gorbals area of Glasgow, Scotland, but he spent his childhood and adolescence at Fairlie near Largs on the Ayrshire coast, ...
, the 2006 winner:
"I must also say at once that I attach great importance to this prize. In awarding it, here at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, to an extravagant Scotsman of my species, a Frenchman of adoption, a European of wit, the jury of the Brittany Prize clearly shows in my eyes his intention to remove Brittany from all the confinements with which it has suffered, and to extricate Celtic culture from all the ignoble or malicious caricatures of which it has been the victim."
In 2013, the Prix Bretagne was awarded a sum of 6100 €.
Jury
In its early days, the Prix Breizh-Prix Bretagne included writers such as
Roger Nimier,
Hervé Bazin
Hervé Bazin (; 17 April 191117 February 1996) was a French writer, whose best-known novels covered semi-autobiographical topics of teenage rebellion and dysfunctional families.
Biography
Bazin, born Jean-Pierre Hervé-Bazin in Angers, Maine- ...
,
Paul Guimard
Paul Guimard (3 March 1921 – 2 May 2004) was a French writer known for combining his passion for writing with his love of the sea. His most famous work was '' Les Choses de la Vie'', which was adapted for film, with a complete change of its ...
,
Henri Queffélec,
Jean Marin.
Composition of the 2012 jury:
* President,
Philippe Le Guillou
* General secretary,
Jean Bothorel
Jean Bothorel (12 May 1940) is a French journalist and the author of many books. He is a former editor at ''Le Figaro''. He was the 1993 winner of the Prix Goncourt de la Biographie.
Career
Bothorel is a journalist. He first worked for ''L'Expans ...
* Members :
Annick Cojean,
Stéphanie Janicot,
Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud
Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud (born 1947 in Paris) is a French novelist and short story writer. He was awarded the Prix Renaudot in 1982 for the novel ''La Faculté des songes'' and the Prix Goncourt de la nouvelle in 2005 for ''Singe savant ta ...
,
Jean-François Coatmeur, Georges Guitton, Sébastien Le Fol,
,
Gilles Martin-Chauffier,
Jean Picollec,
Patrick Poivre d’Arvor.
Laureates
References
{{Portal bar, literature
Breizh
Awards established in 1961
1961 establishments in France