Paris (AFP)

The jurors of Goncourt, the most prestigious literary prize in the French-speaking world, were to meet on Monday at the Drouant restaurant in Paris to appoint their new president after the departure of Bernard Pivot.

The jury of the academy will designate one of their own behind closed doors to be their new president.

The Goncourt academy has "ten covers" but only eight jurors will be present. In addition to Bernard Pivot, the novelist Virginie Despentes announced her resignation in December in order to devote herself fully to writing. Neither of them will therefore participate in the vote.

The eight current members of the academy are Pierre Assouline (since 2012), Tahar Ben Jelloun (since 2004), Françoise Chandernagor (since 1995), Philippe Claudel (since 2012), Paule Constant (since 2013), Didier Decoin (since 1995) ), Patrick Rambaud (since 2008) and Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt (since 2016).

Two favorites emerge. The current vice-president of the academy, Françoise Chandernagor, 74, first woman to graduate from the ENA. If designated, the author of "L'allée du roi" would be only the third woman (after Colette and Edmonde Charles-Roux) to head the Goncourt jury.

The other favorite is Didier Decoin, 74, current secretary general of the academy. As such, he was particularly responsible for announcing the name of the winner of the Goncourt each fall.

Son of filmmaker Henri Decoin, proud of his title as president of the Marine Writers, Didier Decoin himself was awarded the Goncourt in 1977 for "John the Hell".

Once their president has been appointed, the jurors of Goncourt will have to choose, in the coming weeks, the two covers that are missing. The Goncourt 2020 prize will be awarded in early November.

The former host of "Apostrophes" gave up the presidency of the Goncourt academy in December "to find a free and full use of his time". Bernard Pivot, 84, has chaired the venerable institution for five years.

His years as president of the Goncourt jury were marked by the consecration of young writers such as Leïla Slimani, with "Sweet Song" (Gallimard), adapted since on the big screen, and Nicolas Mathieu, rewarded in 2018 for "Their children after them" ( Actes Sud), novel on the social divide.

© 2020 AFP