A collaborative effort between Grand Cognac and its local libraries is giving readers a chance to shape the literary landscape. The initiative, now in its 16th year, invites book lovers to participate in selecting the winner of the 2026 Polar le Festival award, a prestigious honor within the French crime fiction world. The process highlights the growing importance of reader engagement in recognizing recent talent.
The Selection Committee
This year, a selection committee reviewed 42 submissions and narrowed the field to five novels by authors who haven’t previously been recognized by the festival. According to officials, the chosen books include “hidden gems” discovered outside of major publishing houses. The shortlisted titles are: “De ma famille” by Marlène Charine, published by Calmann-Lévy; “Dead Drop” by La Gale, from La Veilleuse; “Le Refuge” by Jérémy Bouquin, published by Caïman; “Notre-Dame-des-Démolies” by Olivier Vonlanthen, from La Veilleuse; and “Suzanne Aynes” by Anixa Carrie, published by Kubik.
Readers interested in participating can sign up at a local library and commit to reading and rating all five books before September. Bernard Bec, president of Polar le Festival, praised the dedication of the libraries and the 107 readers who participated last year, stating, “Their performance and their choices have already allowed the discovery of unknown authors, the reward of eternal challengers, sometimes bruised talents, always passionate about another literature, dark, which does not pull any punches.”
The five authors will be present at Polar le Festival in October for meet-and-greets with readers and the award ceremony. Nicole Roy, vice-president in charge of cultural policy for Grand Cognac, has been instrumental in the collaboration since 2017, and Bec lauded her commitment to the project, calling it a “beautiful undertaking.”
