Created in 2005 by the Var Departmental Council and orchestrated by the Departmental Library, this award is far from an insular Paris-centric affair. It is a genuinely democratic celebration of reading that irrigates the entire region through the "Le Var, lire en territoire" program—nearly a hundred encounters, workshops, and performances breathing life into local libraries ahead of the grand autumn gathering: the Fête du Livre du Var, held at the Palais Neptune in Toulon.
The premise? Nine recent works across three distinct categories, and one single mandate: complete freedom given to the reading public to choose their favorites ahead of the official award ceremony, taking place November 20–22, 2026.
Novel Category: Coming-of-Age, Memory, and Chaos
The fiction selection highlights audacious debut novels and singular voices probing the human condition:
On l'appelait Bennie Diamond by Michaël Dichter (Éditions Les Léonides)
A film director turned novelist, Dichter ushers us into the hushed yet feverish world of the 1970s diamond trade. Following young Bennie Goodman—fascinated by his grandfather's legacy—the text delivers a thrilling coming-of-age saga about ambition, heritage, and the quest for self.
Les courants d'arrachement by Élise Lépine (Grasset)
A prominent cultural journalist, Élise Lépine delivers a deeply moving intimate score. We follow Reine on the cliffs of Casablanca, haunted by the memory of a lost love and facing the abyss. It is a poignant meditation on emotional captivity, the weight of the past, and the ultimate choice to exist.
Le ciel l'a mauvaise by Éléa Marini (Éditions L'Olivier)
A vivid, incisive prose style. Amidst a gathering storm and stifling heat, three lonely souls—an insolent boy facing his mother's illness, a displaced woman, and a reclusive colossus—find their lives entwined. A powerful ensemble debut that finds light amid the wreckage.
Graphic Novel Category: World Tales and Visual Alchemy
From the wild reaches of Hokkaidō to mixed-media artist workshops, sequential art showcases remarkable sensitivity:
Nepka by Séverine Vidal & Nina Ramsey (Robert Laffont)
An enchanting initiatory tale set on Hokkaidō island. When a young girl sets out to save a bear cub from animist sacrificial rituals, her journey becomes an epic quest. Nina Ramsey’s organic artwork resonates brilliantly with Séverine Vidal’s razor-sharp narrative.
L'envers de nos décors by Thomas Scotto & Carole Chaix (Éditions du Pourquoi pas)
A summit meeting between Scotto's refined poetry and Carole Chaix's sculptural illustrations. A singular art-book object where modeling clay and wire enter into an inventive dialogue with the text.
Le temps des pivoines by Aucha & Maxime Belloche (Glénat)
A narrative work full of fresh vitality, born from the creative synergy of a passionate self-taught writer and a globe-trotting artist.
Picture Book Category: Childhood Grace and the Call of Summer
La chasse aux rainettes by Antonin Faure (Éditions Thierry Magnier)
Adventure seen through a child's eyes. Four cousins, a hidden treasure in the woods, and a subterranean cave illuminated by fireflies: a radiant album restoring pure magic to childhood imagination.
Le jeu du plus qu'un jour by Audrey Poussier (L'école des loisirs)
Through silky oil paintings reminiscent of Edward Hopper's palette, this book offers a tender meditation on the end of summer holidays, the sweetness of nostalgia, and the comforting bloom of mimosas.
Le grand large by Mathilde Bédouet (Didier Jeunesse)
Adapted from her own César Award–winning animated short Été 96, this picture book masterfully captures a turning point in an island vacation trapped by the tide—that delicate threshold where early childhood yields to independence.
