Laurent Mauvignier Wins France's Goncourt Literary Prize
France's most prestigious literary award, the Goncourt, was granted on Tuesday to Laurent Mauvignier for his expansive 750-page family saga spanning over a century.
"I'm overjoyed," Mauvignier said upon receiving the prize. "It's a huge reward because it's a book that comes from my childhood and spans several generations."
The jury selected the 58-year-old author for La maison vide (The Empty House) in a single voting round. The work is inspired by stories Mauvignier heard about his father's family during his upbringing.
Mauvignier competed against notable writers including Emmanuel Carrere, Nathacha Appanah, and Caroline Lamarche.
"We are honouring an author who already has a very important body of work behind him and who, this year, has given us not a collection, but a novel that is nonetheless fundamental," said Philippe Claudel, president of the Académie Goncourt.
The jury members wore badges supporting Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, imprisoned in Algeria since November 2024.
Last year, the prize went to Houris by the Franco-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud, highlighting the ongoing recognition of African writers in French literary circles.
Summary
Laurent Mauvignier received the 2025 Goncourt Prize for a deeply personal century-spanning novel rooted in his family history, underscoring his significant literary contribution.