Prix Mystère de la critique
ぷり・みすてーる・どぅ・ら・くりてぃーく
One of France's oldest crime fiction awards, founded in 1972. Presented annually in February for the best French-language novel and the best foreign novel in French translation.
Mystery/Crime novelsFrench-language novels (domestic category)Foreign-language novels (French translation, international category)
- Established
- 1972
- Organizer
- A jury of critics led by Pierre Lebedel (president), Alain Regnault (secretary), and Serge Breton, continuing the prize founded in 1972 by Mystère magazine.
- Category
- Genre Fiction
- Selection Method
- Selection
- Target
- Professional
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Application Deadline
- around January
- Announcement Period
- around February
- Status
- Active
Description
Prix Mystère de la critique is one of France's mystery/crime novel awards, founded in 1972 by the magazine Mystère (Éditions OPTA). It selects the best French-language work (domestic category) and the best foreign work (French translation) each year, divided into two categories. It is continuously managed by founder Georges Rieben and his team, and since 2011, the award ceremony has been held at the Bibliothèque des littératures policières.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Awards in each category: Domestic (Best French-language novel) and Foreign (Best translated novel)
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate selection | Georges Rieben and selection team (critics, editors, etc.) | — | The selection committee selects candidates from works published the previous year |
| Final selection | Same as above (discussion and voting by the committee) | — | The committee narrows down finalists and decides the winner |
| Winner announcement | Georges Rieben and his team | — | Officially announced at the award ceremony (since 2011 at Bibliothèque des littératures policières) and reported in media |
Candidate selection
Judges
Georges Rieben and selection team (critics, editors, etc.)
Announcement
The selection committee selects candidates from works published the previous year
Final selection
Judges
Same as above (discussion and voting by the committee)
Announcement
The committee narrows down finalists and decides the winner
Winner announcement
Judges
Georges Rieben and his team
Announcement
Officially announced at the award ceremony (since 2011 at Bibliothèque des littératures policières) and reported in media
Criteria
- Literary quality and style of the work
- Story structure and plot coherence
- Originality as a crime novel and lasting impact
- For translations: quality of the translation (fidelity of the French version)
Application Tips
Dos
- ジャンル（ミステリ／犯罪小説）の期待に沿った緊密なプロットとテンポを磨く
- 翻訳作品の場合はフランス語訳の品質を重視する
- 原稿は校正・整形された完成原稿であること（編集状態に注意）
- 独創的なアイディアと強い文体を示す
Don''ts
- 未校正・未完成の原稿をそのまま出さない
- ジャンル性を無視したあいまいな構成に頼らない
- 翻訳の質を軽視しない（翻訳作品は訳文の良否が評価に直結する）
From Judges
- 独創性と文学性の両立を重視する
- 登場人物の深さと物語の整合性を大切にしてほしい
- 翻訳作品は原作のトーンと文体を尊重して訳されていることが重要
Related Awards
- Grand Prix de Littérature Policière
- Prix du Quai des Orfèvres
- Prix Polar (various)
- Other mystery awards in France