On Friday 28th March, two students from Oxford travelled to London to take part in the Choix Goncourt Royaume-Uni, 2025.
The British edition of the prestigious French literary prize (now in its sixth year) is decided by a jury of students from fifteen universities. Oxford's Goncourt reading group - whose participants ranged from first year to postgraduate - read the four shortlisted novels between November and March, and after some tense discussion at its final meeting, decided to nominate Jacaranda, by Gaël Faye.
Miriam Hussain (St Anne's, French and German) and Miles Oleksak (Brasenose, French and Philosophy) joined the final deliberations at the Institut Français, presided over by Professor Olivette Otele (SOAS). At the award ceremony, hosted by the French Ambassador in her residence (and chaired by our own Professor Catriona Seth), Miriam was among four students selected to present one of the novels in French. The final award followed the choice of the Oxford group in going to Jacaranda, in contrast to the 'official' Goncourt, which had gone to Houris, by Kamel Daoud.
Many thanks to Julia Moore (DPhil student, All Soul's) for organising the reading group.
