Congolese-Belgian author, Lisette Lombe, clinched victory as the winner of the Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium’s Grand Prix du Roman 2023 with her novel, Eunice. The announcement was made at an event held on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Eunice, released in 2024, unfolds with raw emotion, navigating the complexities of heartbreak and loss with language that hits like a series of punches, then delivers a literary and poetic uppercut that resonates deeply with readers.
In Lombe’s words:
“Thanks to the Editions du Seuil for believing in Eunice and giving it life. This beautiful recognition of Bernard Comment is also that of a collection that values experimentation and hybrid forms”.
The Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique – Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium – or ARLLFB is a Belgian institution that brings together personalities who, through their works, writings, lectures, or speeches, have contributed most eminently to the illustration of the French Language, either by studying its origins and its evolution or by publishing works of imagination or criticism. It includes both Belgian and foreign members. The Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium, also named the “Destréenne”, was founded in 1920 by King Albert 1 of Belgium, at the suggestion of Jules Destree, minister in charge of Science and Arts. It should not be confused with the Royal Academy of Belgium, the “Teresian”, founded in 1772 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.
The organisation hosts literary awards annually starting with the Grand Prix du Roman, awarded to a Belgian author of a novel or a collection of short stories or prose fiction published during the year. Awarded in 2020, it has been won by Stéphane Malandrin, Emmanuelle Dourson, and Veronika Mabardi.
The 2023 edition of the award had a shortlist of five submissions out of which the jury selected Lisette Lombé’s Eunice (Seuil, 2023) as the winner on March 9. She won the €1,500 cash award. The 2023 edition of the award had a shortlist of:
- Geneviève Damas, Strange, Grasset, 2023.
- Nadine Eghels, Avec Paul, Arléa, 2023.
- Myriam Leroy, Le Mystère de la femme sans tête, Seuil, 2023.
- Antoine Wauters, Le plus court chemin, Verdier, 2023.
- Lisette Lombé, Eunice (Seuil, 2023).
Jury member Pierre Mertens reflected on the award in his speech:
“In a language that calls upon all her poetic gifts, the novelist who reveals herself here shows us how a being eager to live and love can, sublimely, save herself by reinventing her joy of existing… of returning to the world and to restore its full meaning. The Prize that we are giving her today reflects the gratitude that the Belgian-Congolese slammer and, moreover, our national poet, Lisette Lombé, inspires in readers with her wildly seductive prose”.
Lisette Lombe is a renowned slam poet and interdisciplinary artist whose work transcends borders, manifesting through poetry, performance, visual arts, activism, and education. Her collages, performances, books, and workshops embody rage and eros. In 2020, she published Venus Poetica (a novella for which she received a Golden Afro Artistic Award) and a collection, Brûler Brûler Brûler (Grenades/RTBF prizes). She is also the co-founder of the Collective L-SLAM and is currently the winner of the Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium’s Grand Prix du Roman 2023.
Congratulations to Lisette Lombe and her team!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
