Albertine Prize 2019

2019 Shortlist

The Albertine Prize 2019 is now closed. 

The winning book will be announced on Wednesday, June 5th at Albertine Books in New York City, and online via Livestream, in the presence of the Albertine Prize Honorary Chairs—acclaimed author and translator Lydia Davis and French literary critic and TV and radio host François Busnel—along with the winning author and translator. The 5 winners of our giveaway will be contacted via email.


About the Albertine Prize

The Albertine Prize, co-presented by Van Cleef & Arpels and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, recognizes American readers’ favorite work of contemporary Francophone fiction that has been translated into English and published in the US within the preceding calendar year.

The selection committee is composed of the Albertine Prize Honorary Chairs—acclaimed author and translator Lydia Davis and French literary critic and TV and radio host François Busnel—along with the staff of the Albertine bookstore, and the Book Department of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Readers will be invited to vote albertine.com between April 3rd, 2019 and April 30th, 2019. A $10,000 prize will be split between the author ($8000) and translator ($2000) of the winning title at a ceremony held on June 5th at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.

2018 Winner:  Not One Day (Deep Vellum, 2017) by  Anne Garréta, translated from the French by Emma Ramadan

2017 Winner: Bardo or Not Bardo (Open Letter Books, 2016) by Antoine Volodine, translated from the French by J. T. Mahany


The Albertine Prize is co-presented by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York and Van Cleef & Arpels. The program is made possible with support from Air France and The Mark. Additional support is provided by Champagne Pommery. Media Partner: Lit Hub.