The Goncourt Prize song

As tension rises in the publishing world with the publication of successive lists of books selected for the major literary prizes, let’s listen to how popular music artists comment on this competition.

I don’t know if the poet is always right, and if he really sees beyond the horizon, but there is something superb in these lines from Léo Ferré – “these corpses of novels that the Goncourts dewormed”.

It’s superb but it’s obviously unfair. But that’s what some of the hundreds of novelists to whom their publisher or their little friend has said: “what you’ve written deserves the Goncourt” are no doubt muttering.

You know it, because you hear it on France Info, the competition for the major literary prizes, and mainly that of the Goncourt, is currently in full swing, with the publication of shorter and shorter lists, while awaiting the proclamation of the final result on Monday, November 4 at midday. And having the Goncourt is glory, obviously. But not only that: it means entering into mass culture – and some people find fault with it.

In the first episode of These songs that make the news this weekend you hear excerpts from:

Léo Ferré, You’re rock, coco!, 1964

Renaud, My beau, 1981

Bourvil, Mr Balzac, 1959

Charles Aznavour, Trenetement, 1994

Magyd Cherfi, The union alphabet, 2004

The Badgers, No letters for the postman, 2010

Nicolas Peyrac, And here we are, 1979 (2013 recording)

Enzo Enzo, Artist’s wife, 1997

Pierre Perret, My father told me, 1971

Michèle Bernard, I love you, 1999

The Fabulous Trobadors, That’s yes, 2003

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