Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Paul Gasnier Wins Goncourt des Détenus for Debut Novel 'La Collision'

Chosen by detainee jurors across 45 prisons, the award recognizes a debut that turns a family tragedy into a social inquiry.

Overview

  • The Centre national du livre announced the decision on December 16 following a closed final deliberation by ten detained jurors in Paris.
  • 'La Collision' recounts the 2012 death of Gasnier’s mother in Lyon caused by a young motorcyclist performing a wheelie, using the event to probe collective failings.
  • Created in 2022, the prize is supported by the Culture and Justice ministries under the patronage of the Académie Goncourt to engage people in detention as active literary jurors.
  • The nationwide selection involved about 600 jurors in 45 penitentiary establishments, including overseas territories.
  • Published by Gallimard, the book is Gasnier’s first novel; he is a journalist on TMC’s Quotidien, and the title was both a rentrée sales success and a Goncourt des Lycéens finalist.