2024 Fitzgerald Prize Laureate Announced at Hôtel Belles Rives

CAP D’ANTIBES, France, July 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  In a ritualistic launch of summer, a ceremony held this evening at Hôtel Belles Rives on the French Riviera, jury members of the 2024 Fitzgerald Prize, a French literary award created in 2011 by Marianne Estène-Chauvin—President of the Francis Scott Fitzgerald Academy and owner of Hôtel Belles Rives—announced this year’s laureate, the celebrated author, Joyce Carol Oates who was honored for her book 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister. 

While the American author’s book has received positive reviews and recognition from various literary critics and publications, the Fitzgerald Prize is the first prize awarded for the novel. Oates accepted the recognition with a speech on the hotel’s terrace overlooking the splendor of iconic Cap d’Antibes.

“A heartfelt thank you to the jurors of the 2024 Prix Fitzgerald,” said Joyce Carol Oates, “and a heartfelt thank you to Marianne Chauvin for the privilege of being a guest at this fabled place, so commemorated by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the very site in which the 1926, nearly a century ago, Fitzgerald spoke of experiencing ‘strange, precious, and all too transitory moments, when everything in one’s life seems to be going well,’ so I think I will end on that note. Transitory moments when everything in life seems to be going well. Thank you.”

Every year in June, Hôtel Belles Rives hosts the Fitzgerald Prize, which honors a novel or short story that reflects the elegance, spirit, and art of living embodied by the American writer and adopted son of the French Riviera, Francis Scott Fitzgerald. This year’s nominees included Ian McEwan, Manuel Vilas, Christian Kracht, Caroline O'Donaghue, and Joyce Carol Oates. 

The Fitzgerald Prize winner is selected by a jury composed of journalists, writers, and film personalities who are passionate about literature. The jury, helmed by journalist and deputy director of Le Figaro, Bertrand de Saint Vincent, selected the titles as nominees on March 23 and selected the two finalists for the Fitzgerald Prize in mid-May. The honor recognizes a novel or short story that reflects the elegance, wit, taste for style, and art of living of the American writer Francis Scott Fitzgerald.

“Joyce Carol Oates's ability to weave intricate and compelling narratives is unmatched. Her exploration of the human psyche and relationships, particularly in 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister, exemplifies the elegance and depth that the Fitzgerald Prize seeks to honor,” said Marianne Estène-Chauvin.

Oates is an incredibly prolific author, having written over 70 books across various genres, including novels, short story collections, poetry volumes, plays, essays, and criticism. Some of her most notable works include We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde. Her latest book, 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister, for which she received the 2024 Fitzgerald Prize, adds to her extensive bibliography. The synopsis of Oates' 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister provided by French publishing house Philippe Rey highlights the suspenseful and psychological nature of the novel that follows the story of a woman named Georgina Fulmer, who is searching for her missing sister, Marguerite Fulmer. The narrative explores themes of sibling rivalry and the mysteries surrounding Marguerite's disappearance through a series of clues and emotional revelations.

Oates joins the portfolio of recent Fitzgerald Prize winners including Quentin Tarantino, who was last year’s laureate, Jonathan Dee, Jeffrey Eugenides, Jay McInerney, Christopher Bollen, and William Boyd as well as separate honors given on rare occasions; a Gatsby Prize awarded to Thadée Klossowski de Rola and a Zelda Prize awarded to Dominique Bona.

The Fitzgerald Prize concluded with a dinner held in the exclusive setting of the legendary terraces of this Cap d'Antibes landmark hotel.

For more information, visit bellesrives.com and follow on Instagram @bellesrives.