The Renaudot Prize, a winner and a great controversy
Marie-Hélène Lafon after winning the Renaudot literary prize 2020 for her novel “Histoire du fils” (Buchet-Chastel).
© Thomas Samson / AFP
Text by: Siegfried Forster Follow
6 min
This Monday, November 30, the Renaudot Prize is not only talked about for its new winner Marie-Hélène Lafon.
An article, published two days ago by the New York Times, denounces obvious conflicts of interest of the members of the jury and the refusal of a reform after the case of the writer accused of pedophilia Gabriel Matzneff, winner of the Renaudot in 2013.
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Last weekend, the
New York Times article
certainly had the effect of a bomb for the members of the prestigious Renaudot literary prize.
But this Monday at noon, during the award ceremony by videoconference, no one said a single word on the case.
And the new winner, Marie-Hélène Lafon, crowned for her novel
Histoire du fils
(Buchet-Chastel), where the main character pierces a family secret, insisted in her thanks to the jurors on two words: "
loyalty
" and "
trust
".
Obvious conflicts of interest
For the
New York Times
, these words are expressed behind the scenes of the Renaudot Prize above all through obvious conflicts of interest.
This inter-self is expressed with jurors appointed for life, and who above all defend the books of their intimate friends or even their partner or quite simply the books that they publish themselves.
"
I wanted her to have the prize
", explains Mr. Besson, member of Renaudot, about her engagement in the final selection for the novel of his former partner and current wife Anne-Sophie Stefanini: "
I did not see where was conflict of interest.
"
According to the American newspaper, the number of potential conflicts of interest at Renaudot is much more numerous than in other literary prizes in France: “
From 2010 to 2019, on average, nearly three of the 10 Renaudot jurors were linked to the editor of the winner of the year in the "novels" category - three times the average of the other grand juries.
"
Not to mention the much stricter rules in Anglo-Saxon countries: "
Such situations would never be tolerated for prizes such as the
Booker Prize
in Great Britain or the Pulitzer in America, whose composition of the juries is renewed every year and where jurors recuse themselves in the event of a potential conflict of interest.
"Remarks disqualified by Frédéric Beigbeder, member of the Renaudot jury, by an excess of"
purity
"from the United States.
And in France, publishing houses still have other means to achieve their goal.
For example a credit on a future book or the order of a preface paid up to 20,000 euros.
"
For these
20,000 euros, they will be loyal, or faithful, which are the pretty words to say corrupt,
" said the
New York Times
writer Marie Darrieussecq, member of the jury at the Medici, about the jurors.
The Renaudot Prize and the Matzneff Affair
As for
the Gabriel Matzneff case
, Renaudot laureate accused of rape of a minor, an investigation by the newspaper
Le Monde
, also published last Saturday, draws up - with more hushed words - the same assessment as the
New York Times article
: "
a questioning was nevertheless expected.
She never came.
"
In other words: the same members who crowned Matzneff's book in 2013 and relaunched the career of this openly pedophile writer, still sit on the jury to award the prestigious prize.
With one exception.
In March 2020, after the publication of
Consent
, where Vanessa Springora, a victim at the age of 14, describes Gabriel Matzneff as a pedophile predator, Jérôme Garcin slammed the door of the jury to bring about a change.
Today, he still has the bitter observation: “
My departure has not changed anything.
"
Why a writer accused of a pedophile, and who is now the subject of a judicial investigation, remains protected by the elite of the so-called second most important literary prize in France?
According to the
New York Times
reporter
who interviewed six of the nine current Renaudot jurors, "
the Matzneff affair has not sparked any internal debate
."
The emblematic figure of Christian Guidicelli, friend of Matzneff
This is also explained by the presence of Christian Guidicelli, 78, member of the jury, adored by his peers (“
Giudicelli, we all love him
!
”) And emblematic for the operation of Renaudot: “
For years, he has supported with fervor the works written by friends or published by Gallimard, a historic publishing house where he himself is an editor.
This same house also publishes its own books,
”continues the
New York Times
reporter
.
It turns out that Guidicelli, who received the Renaudot Prize in 1986 for his novel
Station balnéaire
, is also the editor and longtime friend of Gabriel Matzneff.
“
The writings of Mr. Matzneff and Mr. Giudicelli bear witness to their frequent trips to the Philippines.
Mr. Matzneff tells there that he practices sex tourism with eight-year-old boys, while Mr. Giudicelli discusses his relationship with an eighteen-year-old prostitute in Manila,
”the
New York Times
recalls the
intimate ties between the two writers.
"I deeply regret ..."
This Monday, November 30, after the award of the 2020 prize, the academician Dominique Bona, the only woman among the jurors of Renaudot, nevertheless confessed to AFP: "
For my part, I deeply regret the harm that this prize [awarded to Gabriel Matzneff, editor's note] was able to train.
I regret the harm that this may have done to Vanessa Springora.
"
At the same time, the academician could not help adding: "
I also regret the harm that this has caused for a writer who found himself banished from society, and victim of a hunt. man
”.
Without wanting to, it thus validates the titles of the
New York Times
(
Despite the Matzneff affair, the literary milieu remains walled in between itself
) and of the
World
(
Le Renaudot, a “friend's prize” against thick and thin
)
.
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