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Edmond (left) with his brother Jules. Photographed by Félix Nadar

Edmond de Goncourt (May 26, 1822 – July 16, 1896) was a French writer, literary critic, art critic, book publisher and the founder of the Académie Goncourt. He was born Edmond Louis Antoine Huot de Goncourt in Nancy.

Biography

He bequeathed his entire estate for the foundation and maintenance of the Académie Goncourt. In honor of his brother and collaborator, Jules Alfred Huot de Goncourt, (December 17, 1830 – June 20, 1870), each December since 1903, the Académie awards the Prix Goncourt. It is the most prestigious prize in French language literature, given to "the best imaginary prose work of the year".

Marcel Proust, Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Tournier, Marguerite Duras and Romain Gary (who exceptionally won it twice) are among the best-known authors who have won the century-old prize.

Edmond de Goncourt died in Champrosay in 1896, and was interred in the Cimetière de Montmartre in Paris.

Quotes

• "A painting in a museum hears more ridiculous opinions than anything else in the world."
• "If there is a God, atheism must seem to Him as less of an insult than religion."

External links

• Works by & about Edmond de Goncourt at Internet Archive (scanned books original editions color illustrated)
• Works by Edmond de Goncourt at Project Gutenberg (plain text and HTML)
• Blog dedicated to Edmond and Jules de Goncourt