Award Ceremony - Hôtel de Paris Saint-Tropez

Five years already. It has been five years since this literary prize was launched within the historically artistic walls of the Hôtel de Paris in Saint-Tropez.
A unique prize in which the selection process begins with the title and is confirmed by the quality of the work.

This “Title Prize,” though seemingly lighthearted, is in fact intended to explore in depth what drives the creation of a title. When and how does a title come into being? At the beginning of the writing process? At the end? Does the title evolve as the writing progresses? Is it the result of a sudden flash of inspiration? Does a title simply impose itself, or is it, on the contrary, the product of a more marketing-oriented approach originating from the publisher?

To shed light on these questions, the winners of the Title Prize will be hosted on the evening of September 25—the eve of the official Title Prize ceremony—for a roundtable discussion bringing together two authors who appear to be polar opposites: One is Chantal Thomas, a prolific and multifaceted, multi-award-winning author, professor of literature, and researcher, who was elected to the Académie Française in 2021 to succeed Jean d’Ormesson. She will present her latest work, *Femmes sur fond azur* ” (Le Seuil), and will reveal exactly how this title immediately stood out to her.

The other is Benjamin Patou, a business genius and enigma who has recently made his literary debut with his first autobiographical book, “Itinéraire d’un enfant raté ” (Fayard), whose foremost quality is sincerity. And undoubtedly its necessity, as this book—written in midlife—reflects on a journey marked by an early loss yet nonetheless lived with great vigor. It is true that Love crossed the young entrepreneur’s path and steered him toward new horizons and new challenges, all while continuing to strike that delicate balance between an innate flair for life (and for encounters) and a willingness to take risks.