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This Tuesday, the Drouant restaurant hosted the proclamation of the 2023 Goncourt Prize, awarded to Jean-Baptiste Andrea for his novel “Veiller sur elle”. “Libé” joined the crowd.
In the tranquility of this cold November morning, a gray Polo parks in front of 16 rue Gaillon, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. As soon as the car stops, a slender valet, wearing a cap on his head, comes out of the legendary Drouant restaurant to welcome the passenger, an old gentleman leaning on his cane. “You’re going to have a lot of people today.”, laughs the white-haired man. This Tuesday, November 6, in this place founded in 1880, marks a special day, repeated every year. In a few hours, writers, journalists and regulars will crowd into the two-story building to hear the proclamation of the prestigious 2023 Goncourt Prize. On the doorstep, the staff is already on war footing. The bottles of champagne have been waiting for a long time on two tables placed on either side of the terrace.
The first academicians responsible for awarding the prize arrive. First the new recruit, Christine Angot