Gilles Marchand won the Booksellers’ Prize for his novel Le Soldat désaccordé, published by Aux Forges de Vulcain editions. This Wednesday, May 17th, the author was awarded for his sixth novel.

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The jury announced the prize for the 47-year-old author Gilles Marchand for his work, Le Soldat désaccordé. The novel deals with a one-to-one investigation to find a missing First World War soldier. The winner attests: “The ”Prix des Libraires” is one of the most beautiful prizes, as it is the result of hundreds of votes from booksellers who defend editorial diversity and a certain concept of literature.”

Gilles Marchand, born in Bordeaux in 1976, started his literary career in 2010 as he was selected following his response to the call for text for the CapharnaHome collection at Antidata editions. The following year, he published regular work with Antidata and became a regular contributor to their anthologies. His first novel, Le Roman de Bolaño, was written in 2015 in collaboration with Éric Bonnargent. In 2016, he published his novel Une bouche sans personne with Aux Forges de Vulcain editions. From that moment on, Gilles Marchand headed towards success. He won the Libr’à Nous press and independent booksellers prize in 2017. Today, he is awarded ”Le prix des Libraires” for his novel Le Soldat désaccordé or the Out of Tune Soldier. ”Le prix des Libraires” was created in 1955 and was awarded by a network of 1,800 independent booksellers. Four of its winners, including Patrick Modiano in 1976, subsequently won the Prix Goncourt.

Gilles Marchand won his second prize in six days with the Naissance d’une oeuvre prize, which rewards established but little-known novelists. Will the Prix Goncourt one day be his?

Marie-Christine Tayah with AFP.

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