The Renaudot Prize 2026 awarded to François-Henri Désérable for "The Palace"

The 100th Renaudot Prize was awarded to François-Henri Désérable for his novel "Le Palais" at a Paris restaurant. The final vote was 6 to 4, with six novels competing. Other finalists included works by David Djaïz and Patrice Jean. The jury excluded Thélyson Orélien's book due to AI involvement in its writing. "Le Palais" draws on the story of Rudy Kurniawan, a convicted wine fraudster, but critiques suggest it lacks depth despite its rich narrative potential.