Books - the 3 finalists for the Nohée 2024 Book Prize

By Mulder, 10 july 2024

The Prix du Livre Nohée, formerly known as the Prix du Livre Cogedim Club, has announced the three finalists for its fifth edition. Created in 2020, this prestigious prize, endowed with 5,000 euros, rewards a French-language novel or story each year that deals with the themes of family and transmission. The finalists are selected by a vote of the 400 senior residents of Club de Lecture Nohée, spread across the Group's 33 residences. The three books in the running for this year's prize are L'autre part by Morgane Az, Ce que je sais de toi by Éric Chacour, and Mon oncle d'Australie by François Garde. The winner will be announced in October at a ceremony broadcast on the Nohée YouTube channel.

The Nohée Book Prize has a dual vocation: to encourage reading among senior citizens and to support contemporary literature. Since its inception, the prize has highlighted literary works that explore family dynamics and the processes of intergenerational transmission. In 2023, the Altarea Group changed the Cogedim Club brand to Nohée, a change that also renamed the prize to better reflect its commitment to being more than just a home.
The process of selecting the finalists for the Nohée Book Prize is a highlight for the residents of the 33 Nohée residences. In June, participants in the Club de Lecture voted for their favorite books from among six competing titles. This vote, carried out via a dedicated application accessible on tablet or smartphone, determined the three finalists. The winner will then be chosen by a jury of literary and artistic personalities, chaired this year by actress Brigitte Fossey. The jury will meet in September to deliberate and choose the winner, a deliberation that will be filmed and broadcast at the award ceremony in October.

This year's three finalists reflect the diversity and richness of contemporary French literature. Morgane Az's  L'autre part tells the story of Lina, who, in tracing her grandmother's life in Morocco in the 1950s, discovers women's struggles for freedom and the family heritage they pass on. Morgane Az, born in 1991, is a French teacher in Normandy, and this novel is her first published work. Ce que je sais de toi by Éric Chacour, set in 1980s Cairo, follows the life of Tarek, a young doctor whose certainties are overturned by an unexpected friendship. Born in Montreal of Egyptian parents, Éric Chacour works in the financial sector, and this book marks his literary debut. Mon oncle d'Australie by François Garde explores family secrets through the quest for the truth about an uncle exiled to Australia at the beginning of the 20th century, questioning legends and family memories. François Garde, a Savoyard by adoption, is an experienced author with several novels and essays to his credit.

The jury for the Prix du Livre Nohée is made up of personalities renowned for their contribution to culture and literature. In addition to Brigitte Fossey, the jury includes writer Éric Bouhier, journalist Élodie Fondacci, writer and psychoanalyst Philippe Grimbert, portrait photographer Francesca Mantovani and journalist and haiku author Pascale Senk. Their mission is to choose from among the finalists the book that best illustrates the values of family and transmission, at the heart of the Nohée Book Prize's mission.

The Nohée Book Prize ceremony is a unique event that takes place simultaneously in all 33 Nohée residences. The jury's deliberations, filmed and broadcast on the Nohée YouTube channel, enable residents, friends and family to share in this moment of literary celebration. This feature reinforces the sense of community and sharing that is at the heart of Nohée's philosophy.

Nohée, a brand of the Altarea Group, offers 33 residences in France for seniors, offering much more than just a home from home. With their own unique architecture and style, Nohée residences are lively, friendly places to live, where people can meet and socialize. Residents can live independently, at their own pace and according to their own desires, while benefiting from services to make their daily lives easier. Nohée's commitment to reading is reflected in the presence of libraries in all the living rooms of its residences, enabling residents to nurture personal pleasure and stimulating discussions around books.

Since its inception, the Nohée Book Prize has rewarded outstanding works exploring the themes of family and transmission. Previous winners include Anne Icart for Lettres de Washington Square (2020), Olivier Mak-Bouchard for Le Dit du Mistral (2021), Mathias Malzieu for Le Guerrier de Porcelaine (2022), and Marie Charrel for Les mangeurs de nuit (2023). These works illustrate the Nohée Book Prize's commitment to supporting contemporary literature and encouraging reading.

(Source : press release)