Nîmes and the Prix Goncourt: 1892-1942-1972
Three figures from Nîmes have marked the history of the most famous French literary prize: Alphonse Daudet, Marc Bernard and Jean Carrière.
Dîner des Goncourt au restaurant Drouant avec le portrait d'Edmond de Goncourt en arrière-plan (1959)Bibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Celebrated and sought after but also criticized, controversial and even refused, everyone has their own take on the Prix Goncourt. Awarded since 1903, the prize is decided through a vote taken by the ten members of the Academy of the same name, who gather at the Drouant restaurant in Paris (a tradition that began in 1920).
Ex-Libris des frères Goncourt gravé par Gavarni (1877)Bibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
The originators of the prize were the Goncourt brothers
Coming from a minor aristocratic family in Lorraine, Edmond (1822–1896) and Jules (1830–1870) de Goncourt were able to use their income to devote themselves to what they loved: novel writing, collecting antiques, and literary and socialite interactions.
Eager to help less affluent authors and to promote innovative young writers, the Goncourt brothers intended to dedicate their legacy to the creation of a literary society responsible for awarding an annual prize.
Trois figures nîmoisesBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Alphonse Daudet (1840–1897) and Edmond de Goncourt
Edmond de Goncourt became friends with Alphonse Daudet in 1874. He took him to the "dinner of the five" every Thursday, where they met Flaubert, Zola and the Russian writer Turgenev. The young southerner shone with verve, humor and beauty.
Alphonse et Julia (au centre) lors d'une rencontre littéraire chez Edmond de Goncourt à Auteuil (1890)Bibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Every Sunday, Alphonse attended the "Grenier" in Auteuil, where, from 1884 onwards, Edmond gathered together guests – exclusively men – while Edmond regularly attended the salon that Julia, Alphonse's wife, held in their apartment in Faubourg Saint-Germain.
Julia Daudet (1844–1940) constantly assisted Alphonse in his writing, and also wrote several books under her own name, such as Course à Venise, which recounts a trip to the city of the Doges in 1896 with Alphonse.
Portraits des membres de l'Académie des Goncourt en une de l'Illustration (1896-08-01)Bibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
The links that united Edmond to Alphonse and the literary stature of the novelist made Daudet the ideal candidate to preside over the future literary society. However, Daudet died in 1897 and was replaced by his son Léon, a writer and far-right polemicist.
Trois figures nîmoisesBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
1942: Pareils à des enfants... by Marc Bernard (1900–1983)
Marc Bernard was awarded the Prix Goncourt in 1942 for his novel Pareils à des enfants..., in which he brought his sensitivity and childlike gaze to life with great perspicacity. The novel, which is autobiographical in nature, takes place in Nîmes, the city of his youth.
Coming from a working-class background, nothing predestined him to become a well-known writer, except his love of people, his great curiosity and a keen sense of observation. He became integrated into the literary world of the capital with the publication of his first novel Zig-Zag in 1929.
Marc Bernard à l'époque du prix Goncourt (1942) by IzisBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
When his name was proposed for the Prix Goncourt in November 1942, he could hardly believe it, and the suspense remained until the end. During the jury voting session, he was proposed and supported by the Gardois Léo Larguier and Roland Dorgelès. He was elected in the first round.
This recognition was very timely: Else, Marc Bernard's wife, was Jewish and, thanks to the prize, the couple then had the means to flee persecution more easily. The book sold poorly: the shortage of paper slowed down its printing.
Trois figures nîmoisesBibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
1972: L’épervier de Maheux by Jean Carrière (1928–2005)
After releasing his first novel in 1967, Retour à Uzès (Prix de l'Académie française), Jean Carrière wrote L'Épervier de Maheux, which was published in 1972. It was a colossal success: the novel won the Prix Goncourt and sold nearly two million copies.
With L'éirvier de Maheux, Jean Carrière sought to write a metaphysical, harsh and dark novel. Its action is based in the Cévennes region, but its aim goes far beyond simple regional concerns and any picturesque desires.
For Jean Carrière, the phenomenal success of his book was the trigger for a long episode of depression and creative sterility. He reported on this painful experience in the Prix d'un Goncourt in 1987.
Jean Carrière (1979)Bibliothèque Carré d'Art Nimes
Despite his depressive period, in 1979 Jean Carrière published La caverne des pestiférés, in which he once again depicted the Cévennes Highlands. Other novels and essays followed until his death in 2005.
Réalisation : Ville de Nîmes - Bibliothèque Carré d'Art.
Iconographie : Ville de Nîmes - Bibliothèque Carré d'Art.
Feuillet de brouillon manuscrit de Jean Carrière : Archives Départementales du Gard.
Gravure montrant Alphonse et Julia Daudet : Musée Carnavalet, Paris.
Gravure d'Alphonse et Julia Daudet : Musée Carnavalet, Paris
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