Didier Decoin, president since 2020, could leave this role after being challenged by some of the academics. However, he plans to run for his own succession.
The Académie Goncourt meets on Monday noon, after a conflicting 2022 edition, to renew its office and possibly change president.
The press speculated on the possibility of Didier Decoin, president since 2020, leaving this role after being challenged by some of the academicians. However, he plans to run for his own succession.
“I intend to represent myself. But if I am made to understand that I must give way, I will not insist”, declared the 77-year-old writer to journalists at the beginning of December, on the sidelines of the presentation of his novel to be published on Wednesday, The Swimmer of Bizerte (Stock editions).
A change of president after just three years would be a surprise, with Didier Decoin’s predecessors all having lasted at least five years, such as Bernard Pivot (2014-2019).
A split in the Academy
The Goncourt Academy was shaken in the fall by a split that did not say its name: for the announcement of the finalists for the 2022 edition of the Goncourt Prize, scheduled for Beirut, a dilemma arose after comments from the Lebanese Minister of Culture, Mohammad Mourtada, close to the Shiite movement Amal, an ally of the pro-Iranian group Hezbollah, against the “Zionists”.
Five of the ten jurors, including Didier Decoin and the entire office (secretary Philippe Claudel and treasurer Camille Laurens), felt that the best response was to maintain the trip to Beirut. The other five considered it better to cancel it in protest, and stayed in France.
When the Prix Goncourt was announced in early November, these two camps voted for two different novels, without moving an inch during 14 rounds of voting. Only the rule attributing at the end a double vote to the president made it possible to elect live fast of Brigitte Giraud facing the Mage du Kremlin de Giuliano da Empoli.
The “anti-Beirut” camp lost a member in early December, Patrick Rambaud, 76, who became an “honorary member” for health reasons. A new Goncourt juror could be elected on Monday, or later.