Published on November 3, 2026, by the ESRA Group
The 2026 Prix Goncourt was awarded on Tuesday, November 3, to Philippe Jaenada for *L’Inconnue du quai de Javel* (Flammarion). Before becoming a novelist, the author studied film at ESRA, a school of film, sound, and animation founded in Paris in 1972. The entire school is delighted by this honor, the most prestigious in French literature.
A Goncourt Prize for *The Stranger on the Quai de Javel*
As has been the tradition since 1914, the winner’s name was announced by Philippe Claudel, president ofthe Académie Goncourt, from the steps of the Drouant restaurant in Paris. Philippe Jaenada won with six out of nine votes, beating out the three other finalists: Yannick Haenel, Clémentine Mélois, and Sylvain Prudhomme. He succeeds Laurent Mauvignier, who won in 2025 for *La Maison vide* (read the article in *Le Monde*).
Published on August 12, 2026, by Flammarion, *L’Inconnue du quai de Javel* was already one of the biggest hits of the fall literary season, with nearly 60,000 copies sold even before the award was announced. True to his style, Philippe Jaenada revisits an unsolved criminal case: the murder of Louise Cansot, a young woman from Brittany who became a model for the painters of Montparnasse and was found dead on a quay along the Seine in the late 1940s. The author conducts the investigation in his own unique way, blending archival research, digressions, and humor, with an unexpected companion along the way: Commissioner Maigret, whose entire body of work he re-reads as his research progresses.
From ESRA to the Novel
Before becoming a writer, Philippe Jaenada initially wanted to make films. Born in 1964 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, he attendedESRA—the film school founded in Paris in 1972— in the 1980s. He recalled this himself in an interview with *Livres Hebdo* in 2016: “I studied film somewhat by chance at ESRA.” This foray into the visual arts has shaped a writing style that critics often describe as cinematic, even though the author himself claims to have a style characterized by minimal dialogue and plenty of digressions.
He ultimately channeled this passion for storytelling and investigation into his novels. But his connection to cinema has never been severed: several of his books have been adapted for the screen, and he served on the jury at the Champs-Élysées Film Festival in 2016.
Philippe Jaenada, a writer who loves to investigate
Noticed from his very first novel, *Le Chameau sauvage*, which won the Prix de Flore in 1997, Philippe Jaenada has gradually established himself as a leading figure in the “true-life novel” genre. Since *Sulak* (2013), he has devoted each of his books to a news story or a forgotten life story, which he explores with obsessive meticulousness: *La Petite Femelle* (2015), dedicated to Pauline Dubuisson; *La Serpe* (2017), which earned him the Prix Femina; and *Au printemps des monstres* (2021). The Goncourt Prize now crowns a body of work that is unique, funny, and deeply human.
A source of pride for ESRA and its alumni
For more than fifty years, ESRA has been training students in the fields of film, audiovisual media, sound, and animation. Its alumni have made a name for themselves behind the camera, in production, in editing, and in writing. With Philippe Jaenada, literature has now been added to the list. The ESRA Group extends its warmest congratulations to its former student on this magnificent award.
Would you like to learn how to tell stories, too? Discover ESRA’s “ Programs ” in Film, Sound, and Animation, meet the staff during our open house events, or apply online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Goncourt Prize?
Philippe Jaenada, for *L’Inconnue du quai de Javel* (Flammarion), with six out of nine votes in the first round on November 3, 2026, according tothe Académie Goncourt.
Did Philippe Jaenada study film?
Yes. Before becoming a novelist, he studied in the 1980s atESRA, the École Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle, in Paris, as he told *Livres Hebdo* in 2016.
What other awards has Philippe Jaenada received?
The Prix de Flore in 1997 for *Le Chameau sauvage* and the Prix Femina in 2017 for *La Serpe*, before the 2026 Prix Goncourt.
What “ Programs ” does ESRA offer?
ESRA offers a three-year program in film and audiovisual production, sound, and 3D animation, with the option to continue on to a DHEC degree, equivalent to a master’s degree. Learn more at Programs.
"The Unknown Woman of the Quai de Javel" at a Glance
"The Unknown Woman of the Quai de Javel" at a Glance
2026 Prix Goncourt, awarded on November 3, 2026
Author: Philippe Jaenada
Publisher: Flammarion
Publication Date: August 12, 2026
528 pages, 23 €
