The Villa Albertine's Choix Goncourt, or Goncourt Prize Selection, gives undergraduate students in French from campuses across the United States the opportunity to participate in the selection process of the best French novel of the year. The Prix Goncourt, or Goncourt Prize, is one of the most prestigious francophone literary prizes, awarded each year since 1903 by the 10 members of the Académie Goncourt in Paris. “It’s kind of the Pulitzer Prize equivalent in France,” said French student Finn Marloft who was sent to New York city, all expenses paid, to select last year's winner: “Triste tigre” by author Neige Sinno.

In 2025, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus was again chosen as one of only 8 participating campuses across the U.S. to select the novel for Choix Goncourt 2025. In Spring 2025, students enrolled in Professor François Proulx's FR 322 'Movements and Perspectives' course will be asked which of the four novels nominated for deserves to be named the best work of French literature of the year.

The course meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 am to 11:50 am, with online asynchronous sessions (for reading all those novels!) on Fridays. It will be a unique opportunity for students with good proficiency in French to practice analytic and interpretive skills in a collaborative experiential context where they will be a direct contributor to the literary scene – and to the making of francophone culture. In class, students will read the four nominated novels, discuss the role of literary prizes and cultural diplomacy in the creation of cultural value, reflect on best practices as a selection committee, and choose our winner. They will then elect a delegate who will travel to New York City in April to defend our choice, deliberate with the delegates of the other nine participating universities, and vote on the next “Choix Goncourt US”. Consider signing up! Venez nombreux!