Choix Goncourt de la Suisse 2025 to Nathacha Appanah

Mauritian writer Nathacha Appanah has been awarded the Choix Goncourt de la Suisse 2025 for her novel "La Nuit au cœur" (Gallimard). The announcement was made on Wednesday, 12 November 2025, at the Résidence de France in Bern, with Ambassador Marion Paradas and Pierre Assouline, a member of the Académie Goncourt, in attendance.

The novel addresses the theme of domestic violence against women and intertwines the stories of three women who are victims of such violence, presenting an intense and shocking narrative.

This year, a delegation of USI students once again participated in the national jury for the Goncourt prize, which gathers young people from Switzerland's three linguistic regions annually. "It was wonderful to share this journey of reading, discussion, and literary debate with other book lovers," said Lucia Majno, a participant in the USI Goncourt club, which is coordinated by Prof. Bollhalder Mayer. The winner will be invited to Switzerland in spring 2026 for a public conference with students.

The Choix Goncourt de la Suisse is sponsored by the Académie Goncourt, coordinated by the French Embassy in Switzerland and supported by Payot Libraire, SBB and the Swiss section of AMOPA.

For more information and photos, please visit the French Embassy in Switzerland's website.