The Alpes-Maritimes Department awarded the Prix Livre Azur 2025 to Pierre Corbucci for his novel The Disappearance of Aristoteles Sarr. The author, originally from Saint-Laurent-du-Var, follows a line of writers who share a strong connection with the Maralpin region.
After several months of reading and deliberations, the jurors of the Prix Livre Azur have made their decision. The winner of the 12th edition is Pierre Corbucci, for The Disappearance of Aristoteles Sarr, published by Paulsen. The announcement was made in the presence of Joël Baqué, writer and sponsor of this year’s prize.
Established by the Alpes-Maritimes Department, the Prix Livre Azur annually recognizes a work linked to the region. This could be a book by an author born in the area or a novel set in the Alpes-Maritimes. For this 2025 edition, four works were in contention, chosen for their quality and geographical ties: those by Nina Léger, Thael Boost, Myriam Chirousse, and Pierre Corbucci.
The jury, consisting of 158 volunteer readers, met in 15 libraries across the departmental network. Each had the opportunity to debate and vote by secret ballot. The departmental media library then centralized the votes and announced the result.
At the award ceremony, Charles Ange Ginésy, president of the Department, praised the commitment of the jurors and authors: “This Prix Livre Azur, unique and specific, has two ambitions: to ensure that, through the departmental network’s media libraries, reading enthusiasts become part of a jury responsible for selecting a winner from recent publications. The second is to honor writers who originate from or have forged connections with the Alpes-Maritimes department.”
A Novel Between Adventure and Tragedy
The Disappearance of Aristoteles Sarr immerses the reader in the Amazon of the 1920s. A young lieutenant is sent into the heart of the jungle to mark out a landing strip. The project, initially connected to the extension of a railway, seems rational at first. But the unpredictable nature proves stronger than human certainties. The narrative thickens with mysterious disappearances, in a dense and unsettling atmosphere.
Pierre Corbucci presents here his second novel. Born in 1973, he grew up in the Var region before settling in Saint-Laurent-du-Var. A historian by training, he first taught before working in communications. A reader of Cendrars and García Márquez, he enjoys blending fiction, travel, and memory. His fondness for adventure novels is evident in this paced text, filled with tension and vivid imagery.
