Just months after being released from Algerian prison following a conviction that drew international criticism,Algerian-French author Boualem Sansal has been elected to France’s prestigious Académie Française. the 81-year-old novelist won election on the first round of voting January 29th, filling a seat vacant since 2021 [[3]]. Sansal’s election marks a significant moment for the author and the Académie, coming after a period of political and legal challenges that highlighted concerns over freedom of expression [[1]].
Algerian-French author Boualem Sansal was elected to France’s prestigious Académie Française on January 29, winning on the first round of voting. The election comes just over two and a half months after he received a pardon from Algeria, where he had spent a year in prison, according to reports.
Sansal was elected to fill seat number three, which has been vacant since the death of historian Jean-Denis Bredin in 2021. At 81 years old, Sansal joins the “Immortals” – currently numbering 35, with five seats still open – including Amin Maalouf, Jean-Christophe Rufin, Sylviane Agacinski, Chantal Thomas, and Erik Orsenna.
Sansal was arrested on November 16, 2024, upon his arrival in Algiers from Paris, and was subsequently imprisoned. He was convicted of “harming national unity” after making statements in October 2024 to the French far-right media outlet Frontières regarding Algeria and Morocco. He ultimately received a presidential pardon from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on November 12, 2025.
On December 4, the author already appeared under the dome of the Académie Française to receive the Cino Del Duca World Prize, which celebrates works that carry “a message of modern humanism.”
A prolific author with dozens of works
Boualem Sansal has authored around thirty novels, short story collections, and essays since 1999. He received the Grand Prix du Roman from the Académie Française in 2015 for 2084. The End of the World (Gallimard, 2015), sharing the award with Hédi Kaddour. He is also the author of Darwin Street (Gallimard, 2011), The German Village or The Brothers Schiller’s Journal (Gallimard, 2008), and Live. The Countdown (Gallimard, 2024).
Founded in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the Académie’s mission is to “establish certain rules for our language and to render it pure, eloquent, and capable of treating the arts and sciences.” The institution publishes a dictionary and issues rulings on orthographic rules.
To be elected, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of votes. Three, or even four, rounds of voting may be necessary to achieve this. Beyond that, the academics decide either to continue the vote or abandon it, according to the Académie. The new Immortal is inaugurated in a private ceremony and then receives a green robe embroidered with olive branches and a sword.
