Composition of the 2013 jury
Under the presidency of Bernard Pivot
As surely the best-known literary journalist in France, Bernard Pivot has profoundly marked the history of French television with his programme “Apostrophes” launched in 1974 and “Bouillon de culture” which he produced from 1990 to 2001. He has held rare and invaluable interviews with such famous writers as Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Vladimir Nabokov. Also involved in the written press (he made his debut working for the Figaro Littéraire), Pivot is an editorial writer for Lire magazine and columnist for Le Point and Le Journal du dimanche. As Director of Dicos d’or, the world spelling bee for the French language, this unconditional lover of the language of Molière has been unflagging in his desire to share this passion in such books as “100 mots à sauver” or “100 expressions à sauver”. The first member of the Académie Goncourt who is not a writer and a presenter of dictation on the television, school teacher style, Pivot is unquestionably a respected voice that people listen to on the French literary scene. His “Dictionnaire amoureux du vin” will be published in 2013 (by Flammarion).
- Born on 5th May 1935 in Lyon. Childhood in Lyon and the Beaujolais region
- Graduated from the Centre de formation des journalistes
- From 1958 to 1974, editor of the Figaro littéraire, then head of the Figaro literary department
- “Chronique pour sourire”, on the French radio channel Europe 1 (from 1970 to 1973)
- Chroniqueur for Le Point (from September 1974 to April 1977)
- Producer and presenter of the literary programme “Ouvrez les guillemets” (O.R.T.F. – 1st channel, from 2nd April 1973 to 21st November 1974)
- Producer and presenter of the programme “Apostrophes”, on Antenne 2, from 10th January 1975 to 22nd June 1990
- Founder, in October 1975, of Lire magazine and chief editor until June 1993
- Producer and presenter of the programme “Bouillon de culture”, on France 2, from 12th January 1991 to 29th June 2001
- Presenter of the monthly programme “Double je”, on France 2, from 24th January 2002 to 6th January 2006
- Creator and presenter, on France 3, of “Dicos d’or”, the French spelling bee (1985-2005)
At present:
- Literary columnist for the Journal du Dimanche.
- Member of the Académie Goncourt
- Eight “7 d’or” French television awards
- Critique prize of the Académie française 1983
- Atlantida prize 1988, awarded by the publishers of Catalonia
- “Meriti litterari” 1987, awarded by Italian writers and publishers
- Prize for the best international debates programme, awarded on 10th December 1990 by the American magazine Connoisseur, for the broadcasting in the United States of the “Apostrophes” programme
- 2000 winner of the Langue française prize
THE 2013 JURY
- Bernard PIVOT, Writer, journalist and member of the Académie Goncourt jury
- François BARRÉ, Chairman of the Board of Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire
- Chantal COLLEU-DUMOND, Director of the Domaine and International Garden Festival of Chaumont-sur-Loire
- Olivier BEDOUELLE, Member of the UNEP National Bureau
- Caroline DE SADE, Journalist, gardens chief editor of “Architecture à vivre”
- Soazig DEFAULT, Journalist-landscape architect
- Ariane DELILEZ, Secretary-General of the French Landscape Federation
- Jean-Marc DIMANCHE, Publisher, communications consultant
- Hélène et Patrice FUSTIER, Founders of the Journées des Plantes de Courson
- Pascal GARBE, Landscape architect, Project Manager for the Gardens policy of Moselle County Council
- Guillaume HENRION, President of the Centre Region Association of Parks and Gardens
- Pascal LAFORGE, Partnerships Events Manager - Truffaut
- Jean-Pierre LE DANTEC, Historian, writer, engineer and former director of the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris - La Villette
- Dominique MASSON, Consultant for gardens and landscape at the Centre Region Directorate for Cultural Affairs
- Vincent PIVETEAU, Director of the École Nationale Supérieure de Paysage de Versailles
- Andrew WILSON, Founding Director of The London College of Garden Design, partner at Wilson McWilliam Landscape and Garden Design Studio, Chief Assessor for Show Gardens for the Royal Horticultural Society
- Bernard CHAPUIS, Landscape architect and Gérard DOSBA, Head gardener at Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire