Alexis Jenni | |
|---|---|
 Alexis Jenni at a book signing in Lyon in November 2011. | |
| Born | April 1963 Lyon, France |
| Occupation | Novelist, biology teacher |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Notable works | L'Art français de la guerre |
| Children | 3 |
Alexis Jenni (born 1963) is a French novelist and biology teacher. His debut novel, The French Art of War , won the 2011 Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary award. [1]
Jenni was born in 1963 in Lyon, France. A father of three, [2] he has a degree in biology, and is a professor in the life sciences at the Lycée Saint-Marc in Lyon. [3]
His debut novel, L'Art français de la guerre ( The French Art of War ) was published on 18 August 2011, and was awarded the Prix Goncourt on 2 November 2011. In reaction to the award, Jenni said "I didn't even think I would be published, so the Goncourt wasn't even worth thinking about." [1] The novel deals with France's colonial history in Indochina and Algeria, and was partly inspired by the debate on French identity that developed under the government of President Nicolas Sarkozy. Rather than expressing his personal opinion on the debate, Jenni wanted to make his readers think about it themselves. [1] [4] As well as winning the Prix Goncourt, the novel was shortlisted for the Prix Médicis and the Prix Femina.
L'Art français de la guerre was technically Jenni's third novel, but was the first to be published. He had previously written a novel which he never submitted to a publisher, and another which was not accepted. [5] According to Jenni, L'Art français de la guerre took five years to write. He stated that he was a "Sunday writer, just as there are Sunday painters." [6]
This book about Fridtjof Nansen was published in 2022.
The Prix Goncourt is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward of only 10 euros, but results in considerable recognition and book sales for the winning author. Four other prizes are also awarded: prix Goncourt du Premier Roman, prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle, prix Goncourt de la Poésie (poetry) and prix Goncourt de la Biographie (biography). Of the "big six" French literary awards, the Prix Goncourt is the best known and most prestigious. The other major literary prizes include the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française, the Prix Femina, the Prix Renaudot, the Prix Interallié and the Prix Médicis.
Edmond Louis Antoine Huot de Goncourt was a French writer, literary critic, art critic, book publisher and the founder of the Académie Goncourt.
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The French Art of War is a 2011 novel by the French writer Alexis Jenni, published by Éditions Gallimard. It is an adventure story about the military history of France in Indochina and Algeria. It received the Prix Goncourt, with five votes to three against Carole Martinez's Du domaine des Murmures.
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