The successful revival of Roman des Romands

Absent for several years due to restructuring, the Swiss-style Goncourt des Lycéens made a remarkable comeback for its 2023-2024 edition. Over 700 students took part in this formative literary prize.

A clamor resounds under the vaulted ceiling of the Salle Paderewski in Lausanne. On this venerable Friday evening, the Casino de Montbenon is packed to the rafters for the presentation of the 14th Prix du Roman des Romands. Hundreds of young people, often dressed to the nines, have made the trip for the occasion. And they greet the crowning of Lausanne author Eugène for his book Letter to my dictator, published by Slatkine.

Read also | Eugène, an innumerable storyteller

This literary prize has been in existence for just over fifteen years. A sort of Goncourt des lycéens for Swiss high school students, it is awarded to a French-speaking Swiss author by secondary school students, with the sum of 15,000 francs donated by the Francis and Marie-France Minkoff Foundation. The closing ceremony of this 2023-2024 edition is therefore the culmination of a semester of intense work, for teachers and students alike. This year, some forty classes from ten cantons - more than 700 students - read the six books in competition, before making their decision. But the choice was tight, and each book was fiercely defended.

Many young people are delighted to have taken part in this adventure. «You get this little pleasure from reading these books, which are all different and bring you lots of different things from different places,» points out Corentin, a second-year gymnasium student in Lausanne. «It's a great experience, at least compared to the usual courses. Essays and text analysis are a bit less fun,» he jokes. His classmate Samuel, for his part, appreciated the different pace of reading from that which he usually experiences in class. As far as he's concerned, offering easier, more contemporary works is certainly a way of encouraging young people to read.

«We're always walking on a tightrope»

After the ceremony, Roman des Romands creator Fabienne Althaus Humerose breathed a sigh of relief. Organizing this event is always a challenge. «It takes a lot of hard work and nerves of steel. But we've been well rewarded this year,» admits the Genevan, who has carried the prize at arm's length since its inception in 2009.

If this 2023-2024 edition had a special flavor, it's because it almost never saw the light of day. In 2021, Fabienne Althaus Humerose wanted to throw in the towel, fed up with the chronic lack of resources and the absence of support from public authorities. But she was supported by a new committee and hired a general secretary. The reorganization was supported by the Federal Office of Culture, as part of the transformation projects launched after the pandemic. In addition, private foundations are providing three-quarters of the funding for this year's event.

Read also | Matthieu Mégevand: «For some artists, creation is an explosion».»

Thanks to this new structure, the Roman des Romands got off to a flying start this year, with record participation. Demand was such that eight classes had to be turned down. For the committee, it's all about providing a good experience for the authors. Each class meets two writers during the autumn. For each book in the running, this meant a dozen trips. So the authors were reaching their limit. If the success continues, the organization is thinking of making some choices, with a view to ensuring the broadest possible representation on the jury. But before that happens, money is the key.

For the moment, it's time to celebrate for the participants in this 14th edition of the Roman des Romands. It's also time to give the floor to this year's winner Eugène, who praises the work carried out by the students. «Each of my twelve school meetings has been intense and friendly. At your age, I didn't know how to talk about literature as well as you did.

Write to the author: sandrine.rovere@leregardlibre.com

You have just read an article from our print edition (Le Regard Libre N°104).

Eugène 
Letter to my dictator
Editions Slaktine 
2022 
190 pages 

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