The 2026 Grand Prix de littérature policière has announced its two winners. Andrée A. Michaud’s Baignades, published by Rivages, has won in the Francophone category, while the Polish author Jakub Szamałek’s La Station, published by Métailié in a translation by Kamil Barbarski, has won in the foreign category. Both novels explore scenarios that initially seem controlled but quickly spiral into chaos. Established in 1948 by critic and novelist Maurice-Bernard Endrèbe, the Grand Prix de littérature policière annually recognizes a Francophone work and a foreign novel translated into French. In June, the jury selected 30 titles, equally divided between the two categories, before narrowing them down to the final winners. Andrée A. Michaud’s Baignades opens with what appears to be a typical family vacation. Max, Laurence, and their daughter Charlie arrive at a lakeside camp intending to enjoy a few days in nature. A minor conflict and then a new incident force the family to leave hastily. At night, during a thunderstorm and while driving a poorly controlled motorhome, Max takes the wrong direction. A series of decisions and unexpected circumstances gradually turn the trip into a nightmare. Andrée A. Michaud, born in Quebec, is a well-known figure in Francophone noir fiction. Her other works include Le Ravissement, Bondrée, Rivière tremblante, Tempêtes, and Proies. Bondrée earned her the Quais du polar/20 Minutes readers' prize and the SNCF noir prize. In contrast, Jakub Szamałek’s La Station is set in the high-stakes environment of the International Space Station. Lucy Poplaski commands a Russo-American crew when an unexplained ammonia leak threatens the mission. The search for the leak’s source quickly breeds suspicion among the astronauts, against the backdrop of renewed tensions between the United States and Russia. Born in 1986, Jakub Szamałek studied Mediterranean archaeology at Cambridge before becoming a writer and screenwriter. He has notably contributed to the writing of the video games The Witcher. French readers are already familiar with his work, including Tu sais qui, Datas sanglantes, and Saturation totale, also translated by Kamil Barbarski for Métailié. The Grand Prix de littérature policière is awarded by a jury composed of a dozen literary figures, including writers, journalists, and critics. Currently chaired by Pierre Lebedel, the jury also includes Alain Regnault as secretary and one of the jurors. Publicly identified members include journalist and literary critic Christine Ferniot and writer and journalist Alexandra Schwartzbrod. Last year, the Francophone novel prize was awarded to Mathilde Beaussault for her debut novel, Les Saules (Seuil, "Cadre noir"). The foreign prize went to Scottish author Peter May for Loch noir (Le Rouergue, "Rouergue noir"), translated from English by Ariane Bataille. Andrée A. Michaud and Jakub Szamałek now join the list of winners of one of the oldest French awards dedicated to noir and detective fiction.