PARIS, November 4. /TASS/. French writer Laurent Mauvignier has been awarded France’s top literary honor, the Goncourt Prize, the President of the Goncourt Academy, Philippe Claudel, announced during a ceremony broadcast by the BFMTV channel.

"In the first round of voting, the prize was awarded to Laurent Mauvignier for his novel ‘La maison vide’ [‘The empty house’ - TASS], receiving votes from six jury members," Claudel stated.

Mauvignier’s main competitor, Belgian writer Caroline Lamarche, received votes from four jury members for her novel ‘Le Bel Obscur’ (‘The Beautiful Obscurity’). The voting took place traditionally at the Drouant restaurant in central Paris.

The Goncourt Prize has been awarded annually for 110 years. It was established according to the will of the French writer Jules de Goncourt (1830-1870) and his brother Edmond and is considered the most prestigious literary award in France. Although its monetary value has depreciated over time and now amounts to only 10 euros, the winner can expect significant royalties from book reprints and translations into foreign languages.