Algerian-French novelist Kamel Daoud has won the 2024 Goncourt Prize, one of the highest honors in French literature, for his novel Houris. The announcement was made on Monday, Nov. 4, at a ceremony at the French Drouant restaurant, where the Goncourt jury convenes each year to select the winner.
Daoud’s novel, which was chosen from among four finalists, tells the story of Aube, a woman who survives Algeria’s brutal civil war, known as the “Black Decade.” The book explores themes of trauma, resilience, and the aftermath of conflict.
However, Houris will not be published in Daoud’s home country of Algeria due to laws that criminalize public discussion of the civil war.
Daoud, a former journalist, is best known for his 2013 debut novel The Meursault Investigation, which was translated into several languages and received international acclaim.
In a separate announcement on Monday, French-Rwandan author Gaël Faye won the Prix Renaudot for his second novel, Jacaranda. Faye, 42, was also one of the four shortlisted candidates for the Goncourt Prize.
The Goncourt and Renaudot prizes are two of the most prestigious literary awards in the French-speaking world.
