Mauritian Author Secures Prestigious Prix Femina 2025

Nathacha Appanah has won the Prix Femina 2025 for her novel, ‘La nuit au cœur’ (The Night in the Heart), adding a significant accolade to the book’s growing recognition. The victory sees Appanah join an exclusive group of just 34 authors to have been awarded the prestigious French literary prize.

Key Context and Goncourt Nomination

The award comes as Appanah’s novel, published by Gallimard, remains in contention for another major French literary honour: the Prix Goncourt. The winner of the Goncourt is set to be announced on Tuesday.

‘La nuit au cœur’ is competing against two other shortlisted works for the Goncourt: Emmanuel Carrère’s Kolkhoze (published by P.O.L.) and Laurent Mauvignier’s La maison vide (published by Minuit).

The Novel’s Subject Matter

Appanah’s winning work tells the compelling and difficult story of three women who have suffered violence at the hands of their partners.

The narrative reveals that two of the women died as a result of the violence, while the third, the author, managed to escape the man’s control.

Background of the Prix Femina

The Prix Femina is an honorary literary prize established in 1904. It was created as a deliberate counter-proposal to the existing Prix Goncourt.

Source: Defi Media