Topic: Prix Goncourt

10 novels in translation you should know

The finalists for the 2011 Best Translated Book Award – sponsored by the Three Percent weblog – were announced last week. The winning works of fiction selected were translated from German, Spanish, Afrikaans, Czech, French and Swedish. To read these books is to travel the globe in extraordinary style.

Germany – the new mini-superpower

As its economic clout rises, Germany sheds its postwar identity, becoming more assertive in Europe and the world.

4 recent cases of plagiarism charges in the headlines

Plagiarism charges regularly plague the book world, often resulting in tarnished reputations. For those accused, the allegations are humiliating, while the writers plagiarized often feel themselves to be the victims of a theft for which they are never fully compensated. In recent cases, plagiarism charges have swirled around a variety of different kinds of publications: an award-wining French novel, a 2006 congressional report, the memoir of former President George W. Bush, and the "Harry Potter" series.

New literary star Marie Ndiaye takes on France's old guard

Marie Ndiaye won the Prix Goncourt for tackling immigration in her novel "Trois femmes puissantes." She refuses to retract her equally bold criticism of Sarkozy's France.

France's Sarkozy launches controversial national identity debate

President Nicolas Sarkozy's government started a 'what is French?' website today. Critics say the national identity debate is intended to stir up anti-immigrant sentiment ahead of national elections in the spring.

A less-than-kindly greeting for a prized French novel