Newsletter 
Each year, on the occasion of the Goncourt Choice, the French Institute of Finland organizes a literary criticism competition. Although this year’s Goncourt Choice brought together all the Nordic countries around a common selection for the very first time, the actual competition was held, as usual, among the Finnish participants of the program. The prize? A trip to Paris, offered by the French Institute of Finland.
In the competition, students are invited to write a critical analysis of one of the four finalist novels for the Goncourt Prize. This year’s winning critique focuses on Jacaranda by Gaël Faye, a novel centered on the Rwandan genocide and its impact through the family history of the main character, Milan. The book was the fifth best-selling novel in France in 2024.
Moona Hartman’s analysis was praised for its excellent contextualization, its consideration of the author’s chosen perspective, the clarity of its structure, and its mastery of academic vocabulary. For the second year in a row, the prize has been awarded to a student from the University of Jyväskylä!
This year, for the first time, the program welcomed a literary moderator, Thierry Caquais, who led a workshop on writing literary analyses and took part in evaluating the critiques. A big thank you to Caquais for his expertise and commitment!
You can read the winning critique in French here.
Congratulations to Moona Hartman on this wonderful achievement, and our best wishes for continued success in her studies!