Elected head of the French Academy, Amin Maalouf said he felt “a lot of emotion and a little anxiety”

The author Amin Maalouf explained on Friday September 29 on France Inter that he felt “a lot of emotion and a little anxiety” at the time of his election as head of the French Academy. The Franco-Lebanese writer was elected Thursday September 28 as permanent secretary of the French Academy. He feels the “great responsibility” which falls to him, since his role is to direct this institution responsible for defending and promoting the French language.

Emmanuel Macron welcomed the election of Amin Maalouf on X (ex-Twitter), believing that it would “to honor the influence of our language”. Amin Maalouf rightly considers that “the influence of the French language, and therefore of France, is part of the functions of the French Academy” as well as “the defense and illustration of the French language”.

We need “a greater female presence”

At 74, Amin Maalouf succeeds the historian Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, who died in August, from whom he hears “get inspired”. “During the last few years, I was able to observe the way in which she led the Academy, her energy, her benevolence and her authority”, assures the writer. He is the 32nd person to hold the position of perpetual secretary since 1635. This “weight of history” East “omnipresent” within the Academy, according to him. He notes that he says that “this institution needs to keep up with the times”. “This balance between continuity and the necessary transformation is a constant concern, it will be in my mind throughout my mandate”adds the 1993 Goncourt Prize.

Only six women sit at the French Academy, which Amin Maalouf regrets. He maintains that “the presence of Hélène Carrère d’Encausse gave a sort of solemn feminization to the Academy since the face of the Academy was a woman”. But the writer believes that it is necessary “a greater female presence to compensate for its absence”.

“Things are happening slowly” at the Academy

Amin Maalouf calls for greater diversity in the broad sense within the French Academy. In particular, he wishes that he “there should be a few more academicians” foreign. Currently, there are very few academicians born abroad among the 35 members of the institution, notably the Canadian of Haitian origin Dany Laferrière, the Franco-Belgian Antoine Compagnon, and the Briton Michael Edwards. “There should be representatives from all French-speaking worlds around the world”urges Amin Maalouf, who concedes that he says that “things are happening slowly” at the Academy, thus banking on “the long term”.