Philippe Jaenada wins the 2026 Prix Goncourt in Paris

French author Philippe Jaenada has won the 2026 Prix Goncourt for his novel L'Inconnue du quai de Javel. Euronews, Le Monde and Informat.ro all report that the Académie Goncourt selected Jaenada for France's most prestigious literary award, which is given to an author writing in French. [1][8][9]

The decision was delivered at the Drouant restaurant in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, according to Euronews. The announcement followed controversy surrounding the prominent role of the Madrigall publishing group in the award selections. [1]

Euronews reported that the 62-year-old author has written several books about criminal cases. His winning 528-page novel is an investigation that revisits the murder of a young woman whose body was discovered on a quay along the Seine in the late 1950s. [1]