Officially launched by Her Majesty Queen Camilla and Madame Brigitte Macron during Their Majesties State Visit to France in 2023, the Entente Littéraire Prize celebrates the cultural dialogue between France and the United Kingdom through literature.
The Prize, a collaboration between Institut français du Royaume-Uni and the Royal Society of Literature, encourages the sharing of reading experiences between French and British audiences and highlights the essential role played by translators in bringing works, ideas and imaginations across linguistic and cultural borders.
The second edition of the Entente Littéraire Prize celebrates literary fiction translated between French and English and distinguishes two categories of works.
The Franco-British jury has selected the following shortlist:
- works originally written in French and published in France, translated into English and published in the United Kingdom – selected by the British panel.
- Collapse by Édouard Louis. Translated by Tash Aw. Published by Harvill
- Tata by Valérie Perrin. Translated by Hildegarde Serle. Published by Europa Editions
- Madelaine before the Dawn by Sandrine Collette. Translated by Alison Anderson. Published by Europa Editions
The British panel is chaired by novelist and President of the Royal Society of Literature Elif Shafak, alongside Ken Follett and Hollie McNish.
- works originally written in English and published in the United Kingdom, translated into French and published in France – selected by the French panel.
- Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad. Translated by Josée Kamoun. Published by Gallimard
- Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan. Translated by Céline Schwaller. Published by Métailié
- I’m a fan by Sheena Patel. Translated by Marie Darrieussecq. Published by Gallimard
The French panel is chaired by writer and President of the Académie Goncourt, Philippe Claudel, alongside Leïla Slimani and Augustin Trapenard.
Two prizes (one in each category) will be awarded, with both author and translator
recognised.
On the shortlisted works, the jury said:
Collapse, Edouard Louis. “Collapse is a novel of great power, deeply moving, and
marvellously credible. Louis writes about an insanely dysfunctional. family living in a
village which is a hell of violence, hatred, and prejudice. We read it in fear, with bated
breath, as if watching a drunk on a tightrope”
Tata by Valerie Perrin. “This beautiful book by Valerie Perrin was one of the most
original tellings of tales I’ve come across. Flickering delightfully between past and
present, through memory, conversation and recordings. What a triumph to have
written this gripping story, woven from so many different and diverse threads. A thrill
to read.”
Madelaine before the Dawn, Sandrine Collette. “This unreal, intriguing story is set
in an alternative universe that is mainly medieval. It portrays a small community
struggling with both nature and oppression. The setting and its people are portrayed
with marvellous vividness, and quickly gain our sympathy and pity.”
Enter Ghost, Isabella Hammad. “A political book, an artistic manifesto, a tribute to
the theatre, its power, and its capacity for resistance, this novel succeeds in drawing
the reader into the complexity of everyday life in Israel and the occupied territories. It
portrays the relationships, misunderstandings, dreams, and desires that can emerge
there”.
Caledonian Road, Andrew O’Hagan. “A polyphonic and wide-ranging novel, a
breathtaking page-turner brimming with insight, humour, and intelligence, which
takes us to the heart of our paradoxical, exhilarating, multifaceted, and guilt-ridden
age”.
I’m a Fan, Sheena Patel. “A disturbing, abrasive, and obsessive text, right down to
its repetitive form, that invites us into the mind of a young woman haunted both by a
man and by the ways in which her contemporaries present themselves through
social media”.
For press enquiries, contact:
- Institut français du Royaume-Uni:
Natacha Antolini : +44(0) 20 7871 3520 | natacha.antolini@institut-francais.org.uk
- Royal Society of Literature:
+44 (0) 20 7845 4679 | press@rsliterature.org
- British Embassy Paris:
Hannah Swidrak: +33(0) 6 1201 5698 | hannah.swidrak@fcdo.gov.uk