Xavier Galmiche receives the December prize for his novel “Le Poulailler métaphysique” – Le Monde

Who came first from the egg or the chicken? Failing to resolve this philosophical paradox, the jury of the December Prize chose, Friday, October 29, to reward The Metaphysical Chicken Coop, novel by Xavier Galmiche published by Editions le Pommier.

Known as a university professor specializing in Czech literature and Central European cultures, Mr. Galmiche, 58, tells the story of a teacher who breeds poultry in the Paris region. “It leaves me speechless (…). I don’t know if you’ve ever killed a hen, but it’s an experience ”, declared the winner during the award ceremony, at the Lutetia hotel in Paris, for this “Autobiographical novel, a little”.

Early remittance

He obtained six votes in the second round, the poet and novelist Laura Vazquez had collected two for Perpetual Week (Basement editions).

Initially created, as its name indicated, to reward at the very end of the year an unjustly forgotten book of the Grand Prix of October and November, this prize is awarded this year even before the Goncourt. It is particularly coveted for its large endowment of 15,000 euros, with the support of the Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent Foundation.