Interview with Jakuta Alikavazovic – France Culture Student Novel Prize
Students and staff of the Faculty of Sciences had the opportunity to meet novelistJakuta Alikavazovicon Thursday, December 6, in Lecture Hall 36.01. This distinctive voice in contemporary literature is well known in Montpellier, as she is a regular at the Comédie du Livre and was invited to be an artist-in-residence at the Moco La Panacée in 2024 for the exhibition*Entre les lignes. Art et littérature*. Winner of the Prix Goncourt for a debut novel for *Corps volatils* and the *Le Monde* Literary Season Prize for *L’avancée de la nuit*, she came that evening to discuss her latest book *Au grand jamais* as part of theFrance Culture Student Novel Prize.
This now-anticipated event is organized in coordination with the DVC (Art and Culture Division) and theSCD at the University of Montpellier. Thanks to the active involvement of Jean-Michel Marin, dean of the Faculty of Sciences, and Sonia Chalbi, project manager for Art, Science and Culture at the FDS, this year’s initiative has introduced several new features: the creation of a literary circle for FDS staff (in addition to the student jury’s circle) and the participation of theFiers de Lettres bookstore, which offered a selection of books related to this literary prize.
Jakuta Alikavazovic graciously and generously answered questions from Javier, Killian, Noémie, Franciszek, and Zoé (all science students). The discussion centered on memory, transmission, and erasure in the context of the war in Yugoslavia, the novelist’s country of origin. There were numerous and insightful exchanges with the audience, both in the lecture hall and during the reception held in the author’s honor.
As Jean-Michel Marin pointed out, the France Culture Student Novel Prize aims to enable young people from all disciplines to engage with living literature—the literature being written today—and to interact directly with its authors. It is a wonderful demonstration of curiosity and openness that reminds us that knowledge only has meaning when it is shared and circulated.
We hope to see many of you at the next edition in 2026!
