On Thursday, May 30, 2024, at 1:15 PM, the Laure Écard Space in Nice hosted the award ceremony for the Paul Langevin Literary Prize.
Established in 1998 by the municipal library and the Paul Langevin middle school in Carros, this literary prize aims to encourage young people to read and develop their critical thinking. Since 2013, the organization of this prize has been managed by the Alpes-Maritimes departmental media library.
The Paul Langevin Literary Prize invites volunteer students from 8th and 9th grades in middle schools of the Alpes-Maritimes to form a jury. These young jurors read a selection of five youth novels and choose their favorite. This year, 294 middle school students from 30 schools in the department are participating in this project, which allows them to discuss and defend their opinions on contemporary youth literature works written by Francophone authors.
The Books in Competition
This year’s selection includes five books:
- “A(ni)mal” by Cécile Alix: A poignant and upsetting novel that explores the themes of humanity and nature.
- “The Office of Unresolved Matters” by Christophe Guillaumot: An intriguing and captivating detective story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
- “Emergence 7” by Vincent Mondiot, illustrated by Enora Saby: A gripping and distressing survival story plunging readers into an uncertain future.
- “Grand Passage” by Stéphanie Leclerc: A mysterious and enchanting book that transports readers to another world.
- “The School of Midnight” by Maëlle Desard: A fantastic, funny, and engaging novel that combines humor and adventure.
The 2024 Winner
Among these five exceptional novels, it was Christophe Guillaumot who captured the hearts of young readers with “The Office of Unresolved Matters”. His detective story won over the jury with its plot and compelling writing, standing out as the favorite book of the middle school students from the Alpes-Maritimes.
