The Prix des Deux Magots Jury's Summer Selection
Before beginning to read the books from the 2026 literary season—in preparation for the awarding of the 93rd Prix des Deux Magots on Monday, October 5— the jury members wanted to share their summer reading recommendations.
Inspired by their recent discoveries and favorites, this selection highlights books published in the first few months of the year that have made a particular impression on them.
The jury’s favorites:*
* by Bocuse, *Gautier Battistella* (Grasset)
André Derain’s Autumn, by Michel Bernard (Les Belles Lettres)
*The Little Polemicist Gets Married*, by Ilan Duran Cohen (Actes Sud)
The Correspondent, Virginia Evans (The Round Table)
*Fleur de peau*, by Constance Guisset (Flammarion)
*La Rosa Perdida*, Christopher Laquieze (JC Lattès)
Spin, Magic Wheel, Dawn Powell (The Round Table)
The Cranes Fly South, Lisa Ridzén (La Peuplade)
Toward the Scattered Islands, by Olivier Rolin (Verdier)
On the Road to the Loire, by Emmanuel Ruben (Stock)
“Alongside the Prix des Deux Magots, we wanted to offer a summer selection of French and international novels—a collection of our personal favorites and recommendations for books worth discovering. This list reflects the reading pleasure these books have brought us.”
— Étienne de Montety, jury president
The jury for the Prix des Deux Magots includes:
, and Étienne de Montety, editor-in-chief of *Le Figaro Littéraire* and writer
Laurence Caracalla, journalist
Nicolas Carreau, journalist, columnist, and author
Jean-Luc Coatalem, journalist and writer
Pauline Dreyfus, writer
Clara Dupont-Monod, publisher and writer
Jessica Nelson, writer and co-founder of Éditions des Saints Pères
Marianne Payot, journalist
Abel Quentin, writer
About the Prix des Deux Magots
Established in 1933 in response to the Goncourt Prize, which was considered too academic, the Prix des Deux Magots is one of France’s oldest literary awards. True to the spirit of independence and boldness that animates the famous cultural café in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, it honors a novel or essay written in French each year, showcasing an emerging or underrecognized talent. While free in its choices, the jury does not rule out honoring a work that meets other criteria. With a prize of 7,700 € and a table reserved at the Deux Magots for one year, the prize is currently chaired by Étienne de Montety. The 93rd winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 12:30 p.m., at the Café des Deux Magots. He will succeed Joseph Incardona, who won the award in 2025 for his novel *Le monde est fatigué* (Éditions Finitude).