Cardiff University students attend literary event
8 April 2024
Students from Cardiff University have once again attended a literary event and played a part in awarding a prestigious French literary prize.
Maria Armstrong, who’s studying for an undergraduate degree in French and German, and Tracey Owusu Frimpong, who attends Languages for All classes, attended the deliberations and prize ceremony for the Choix Goncourt UK 2024 which was held at the Institut Français in London and the French Embassy on 22 March.
The Choix Goncourt is a spin-off from the prestigious literary Prix Goncourt, which was created in 1903 by the Goncourt brothers. The Choix Goncourt exists in 40 countries around the world, and this was the 5th time for Choix Goncourt UK to be held, having launched in 2019.
A total of 15 UK universities’ student teams took part in this year’s Choix Goncourt UK, which saw French students read and debate the 4 novels from the shortlist of the prestigious Prix Goncourt between November 2023 and March 2024. During this time, the teams also collaborated with other UK university teams and students from the Choix Goncourt Ireland. Having met regularly throughout the year, 2 representatives from each university then attended the ceremony where they discussed the novels with each other before deciding on the overall winner.
The novels were also presented by students to a distinguished audience at the French Embassy which included Her Excellency the French ambassador, Hélène Duchêne, Camille Laurens, a member of the Académie Goncourt, and the novelist, Brigitte Giraud, winner of the official Prix Goncourt 2022 and the students’ Choix Goncourt UK 2023. Cardiff University student, Tracey Owusu Frimpong, presented the novel Triste Tigre by Neige Sinno.
The 4 novels that reached the shortlist this year were: Humus, by Gaspard Koenig, Veiller sur Elle, by Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Triste Tigre, by Neige Sinno and Sarah, Susanne et l’écrivain, by Eric Reinhardt, with Triste Tigre, by Neige Sinno, claiming victory.
Marie Gastinel-Jones, Reader in French and lead for the initiative at the School of Modern Languages, accompanied the students to the ceremony. She said: “The Choix Goncourt UK has been going from strength to strength. It provides students with a unique opportunity to explore French and Francophone literature outside the context of the classroom, giving full freedom to students to express their literary sensibilities.
“Maria and Tracey represented their peers from the School of Modern Languages French specialist and Languages for All pathways respectively. They were both fantastic ambassadors of the School and did us extremely proud.”