Prix Femina

The Prix Femina was created in 1904 by 22 writers for the magazine La Vie heureuse, which later merged into the magazine Femina, which ceased publication in 1954.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

After the Great War, in 1919 Librairie Hachette proposed to the allied countries to create a similar prize. Great Britain accepted, and the first meeting of its jury was held on 20 June 1920. The prize was called the Prix Femina–Vie Heureuse, and it was awarded to English writers, from 1920 to 1939. Among the winners were E. M. Forster in 1925 and Virginia Woolf in 1928.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

Similarly, in 1920 Lady Northcliffe, wife of Alfred Harmsworth, proposed to create a prize for French writers called the Northcliffe prize. Among the winners were Joseph Kessel in 1924, Julien Green in 1928, and Jean Giono in 1931. The last meeting of the jury for this prize was held on 10 April 1940, before the Nazis occupied France during World War II.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

The archives of the English Committee are held by Cambridge University Library.{{cite web |url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/a77f8754-6b14-448c-a06f-a491a43387f5 |title=Femina Vie Heureuse Prize: English Committee: Minutes and papers |website=The National Archives}}

{{As of|2021|6}}, the jury of the Femina consisted of eleven female members:{{Cite web |date=2 June 2021 |title=Trois romancières rejoignent le jury du Prix Femina |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/livres/trois-romancieres-rejoignent-le-jury-du-prix-femina-20210602 |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=LEFIGARO |language=fr}}

• Josyane Savigneau (president)
• Evelyne Bloch-Dano
• Claire Gallois
• Anne-Marie Garat
• Paula Jacques
• Christine Jordis
• Mona Ozouf
• Danièle Sallenave
• Nathalie Azoulai
• Scholastique Mukasonga
• Patricia Reznikov

There are currently{{when|date=July 2024}} four categories: Prix Femina, Prix Femina essai, Prix Femina étranger (foreign novels), and Prix Femina des lycéens.

{{Main|Prix Femina étranger}}

The Prix Femina étranger is awarded annually to a foreign-language literary work translated into French.

{{main|Prix Femina essai}}

The Prix Femina essai, established in 1999, is awarded to an essay. It replaced the Prix Hélène Vacaresco.{{cite web | title=Prix Femina | publisher=La République des Lettres republique-des-lettres.fr |issn =1952-4307 | date=3 February 2011 | url=https://republique-des-lettres.fr/10561-prix-femina.html | language=fr | access-date=29 July 2024}}

The has been awarded to several writers, for the entirety of their work.

In 2017, anthropologist and essayist Françoise Héritier was awarded a Prix Femina spécial.{{cite web | last=Thomas | first=Vincy | title=Le Femina accorde un Prix spécial à Françoise Héritier | website=Livres Hebdo | date=9 November 2017 | url=https://www.livreshebdo.fr/article/le-femina-accorde-un-prix-special-francoise-heritier | language=fr | access-date=30 July 2024}}

Pierre Guyotat was awarded the prize in 2018.{{cite web | last=Faerber | first=Johan | title=Pierre Guyotat : Idiotie, Prix Femina spécial 2018 et Prix Médicis 2018 | website=DIACRITIK | date=6 November 2018 | url=https://diacritik.com/2018/11/06/pierre-guyotat-idiotie-prix-femina-special-2018-et-prix-medicis-2018/ | language=fr | access-date=30 July 2024}}{{cite web | title=Prix Femina 2018 : Elisabeth de Fontenay et Pierre Guyotat récompensés | website=hachette.fr | date=5 November 2018 | url=https://www.hachette.fr/actualites/prix-femina-2018-elisabeth-de-fontenay-et-pierre-guyotat-recompenses | language=fr | access-date=30 July 2024}}

In 2019, the Prix Femina spécial was awarded to Irish novelist Edna O'Brien, following the publication of her last novel, Girl, which had been shortlisted for the Prix Femina étranger. The prize was awarded in honour of her whole body of work, and it was the first time a non-French author had won it.{{cite web | title=Edna O'Brien wins the Prix Femina Special | website=Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD) Literary Agents | date=5 November 2019 | url=https://petersfraserdunlop.com/edna-obrien-wins-the-prix-femina-special/ | access-date=29 July 2024}}{{cite web | last=Contreras | first=Isabel | title=Le Femina 2019 pour Sylvain Prudhomme, Manuel Vilas, Edna O'Brien et Emmanuelle Lambert | website=Livres Hebdo | date=5 November 2019 | url=https://www.livreshebdo.fr/article/le-femina-2019-pour-sylvain-prudhomme-manuel-vilas-edna-obrien-et-emmanuelle-lambert | language=fr | access-date=29 July 2024}}

The following awards were made during the lifetime of the award.

• List of literary awards

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline}}
• [http://www.prix-litteraires.net/femina_liste.php Prix Femina], at Prix Litteraires website
• [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/a77f8754-6b14-448c-a06f-a491a43387f5 National archive Femina Vie Heureuse Prize: English Committee], an archive of documents covering 1919–1940

{{Prix Femina}}

{{Authority control}}

Femina

Category:Awards established in 1904

Category:1904 establishments in France