The 2025 Prix Renaudot Awards Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonnerre
On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, the Prix Renaudot was awarded to Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonnerre for her novel Je voulais vivre, published by Grasset. The announcement took place at the legendary Drouant restaurant in Paris's 2nd arrondissement, near the Opéra Garnier.
A Prize Honoring a Bold Literary Voice
This prestigious award celebrates a daring work that brings to life one of French literature’s most fascinating and controversial female characters: Milady de Winter, the infamous antagonist in Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers.
Historic Venue and Jury
Since 1926, the Renaudot jury has convened in this iconic venue on Place Gaillon, which is also known for hosting the Goncourt deliberations since 1914. This century-old tradition makes Le Drouant an indispensable part of Parisian cultural heritage.
Jury and Finalists
- The jury consisted of ten members, chaired by Patrick Besson, with panelists such as Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, Franz-Olivier Giesbert, and Dominique Bona.
- De Clermont-Tonnerre was selected over four finalists:
- Feurat Alani for Le ciel est immense (JC Lattès)
- Anne Berest for Finistère (Albin Michel)
- Justine Lévy for Une drôle de peine (Stock)
- Louis-Henri de La Rochefoucauld for L'amour moderne (Robert Laffont)
About Je voulais vivre
The novel offers a compelling reinterpretation of the character Milady de Winter from Dumas’s classic tale, shedding new light on her complex persona.
"Since 1926, the Renaudot jury has been meeting in this iconic restaurant on Place Gaillon, a veritable temple of Parisian literary prizes that has also hosted the Goncourt deliberations since 1914."
Je voulais vivre is a fresh literary voice that revives a controversial figure with boldness and nuance.
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