The Hors Concours Academy has announced the five finalists for the Hors Concours Prize 2026. From an initial pool of 40 texts, five have been chosen to advance to the final round. The award ceremony will take place on November 24 at the Maison de la Poésie in Paris. The five selected titles are Laâyoune, en attendant by Nicolas Rouillé, published by Anacharsis editions; Madame Bovary, my mother and me by Samira El Ayachi, published by Éditions de l'Aube; The Joli-bois by Sujee Godard, published by Double Ponctuation; London 53 by Sophie Prat, published by Quartier Libre editions; and The Husband of the Countess of Ségur by Hafid Aggoune, published by Reconnaissance. The final selection was made by a reading committee of 400 members, including 280 book professionals and 120 literature enthusiasts, who read excerpts from the Hors Concours 2026 Library. The five titles will be assessed by a professional jury composed of journalists and literary critics, who will choose the winner during a deliberation. The reading committee will also vote for a public mention, a special recognition chosen by the general public. This year's jury includes Inès de la Motte Saint-Pierre, chief editor of La Grande Librairie, France Télévisions; Clémentine Goldszal, journalist for Elle and M, Le magazine du Monde; Stéphanie Khayat, journalist for France Télévisions; David Medioni, journalist for La Tribune and Franc-Tireur; Marianne Payot, literary journalist for Lire magazine; Anne-Marie Revol, literary journalist for France Télévisions; and Cristina Soler, literary critic for L’horizon et l’infini. The Hors Concours Prize is a French literary award that annually honors a fictional work or a Francophone narrative published exclusively by an independent publishing house. Its goal is to promote contemporary literary diversity, which is considered vital to the health of the publishing industry. Last year, Karim Kattan won for his novel L’Éden à l’aube, published by Elyzad éditions. The public mention was awarded to Justine Arnal for Rêve d’une pomme acide, published by Quidam Éditeur.