Literary award · France · since 1950

Grand prix national des Lettres

The grand prix national des Lettres (French pronunciation: [ɡʁɑ̃ pʁi nɑsjɔnal de lɛtʁ]) was created in 1950 by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize writers who have contributed to the influence of French literature.

About Grand prix national des Lettres

The grand prix national des Lettres (French pronunciation: [ɡʁɑ̃ pʁi nɑsjɔnal de lɛtʁ]) was created in 1950 by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize writers who have contributed to the influence of French literature. It has not been awarded since 1999.

From the Wikipedia article “Grand prix national des Lettres”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
1998Michel Houellebecq—
1996Patrick Modiano—
1993Jean Tardieu—
1990Louis-René des Forêts—
1988Maurice Nadeau—
1987Robert Pinget—
1986Yacine Kateb—
1985André Pieyre de Mandiargues—
1984Jean Cayrol—
1983Jean Genet—
1982Nathalie Sarraute—
1981Pierre Klossowski—
1980Michel Leiris—

From Wikidata; the list may be incomplete for some years.

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the Grand prix national des Lettres for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.

Sources & data