François-Henri Désérable Wins the 100th Prix Renaudot

Writer François-Henri Désérable won the 100th edition of the prestigious Prix Renaudot on Tuesday for his novel "Le Palais," published by Gallimard. The book was selected during the final round with six votes against four for David Djaïz's "La méthode," under a jury chaired this year by Frédéric Beigbeder.

"I did not expect it. I believed until the very last moment that I would not get the prize," Désérable told AFP after the announcement. He added that he wanted to dedicate the award to winemakers, whom he called "artists who transform grapes into pleasure."

At 39 years old, Désérable spent five years mastering the intricacies of winemaking, the cycle of the grapevine, and the details of wine production after finding inspiration during a trip to Burgundy in 2020 following the lifting of COVID-19 lockdowns. Measuring 336 pages, his novel is an adventure and coming-of-age story that follows Arun Kumar, an Indian orphan adopted by a couple of Burgundian restaurateurs in 1998 who eventually becomes a wine counterfeiter operating between Burgundy and New York.

The narrative is partially inspired by the true story of Rudy Kurniawan, an Indonesian wine expert who became a counterfeiter of exceptional wines before being convicted by the American justice system in 2014.

Before establishing himself as a notable figure in contemporary French literature and winning previous accolades like the Grand Prix du Roman de l'Académie française in 2021 for "Mon maître et mon vainqueur," Désérable pursued a completely different path. He grew up as a professional ice hockey player, training with the Gothiques d'Amiens and playing for two seasons with the Montpellier Vipers before turning entirely to literature after reading Albert Cohen's novel "Belle du Seigneur."

Désérable also has a connection to French President Emmanuel Macron's administration through his education. As an alumnus of the La Providence high school in Amiens, he was once a student of Brigitte Macron, who taught him French and famously reprimanded him about his attire by telling him to pull up his pants.

In addition to the main novel prize, other literary works were honored during the ceremony. The Prix Renaudot Essai was awarded ex aequo to Jean-Paul Enthoven for "Dictionnaire amoureux du bonheur" and Christophe Ono-dit-Biot for "L'Odyssée de l'Odyssée," while the Renaudot Poche prize went to journalist Jean-Christophe Buisson for "Complètement à l'Est!"