French non-fiction author wins top Spanish award

MADRID (AP) — French author emmanuel Carrere, popular for his non-fiction books in a high literary vein, has been granted this year’s Spanish Princess of Asturias literature Award.

The award is one of the eight prestigious prizes by the foundation named after the heir to the Spanish throne, Princess Leonor.

Its jury said Wednesday that Carrere, 63, was chosen among 33 candidates from 20 countries because of the ability of his works to straddle reality and fiction.

Starting with his The Adversary in 2000, about the murderer Jeanclaude Romand, Carrere abandoned a previous career in fiction and began to write stories narrating his own experience or the lives of others.

“His books contribute to the unmasking of the human condition and relentlessly dissect reality,” the award’s jury said in a statement. It added that, in doing so, “Carrere draws an incisive portrait of today’s society.”

The author has also worked as a screenwriter and maker of films and documentaries, including a collaboration with German film-maker Werner Herzog. Carrere has also been a jury member at the Cannes and Venice film festivals.

The 50,000-euro award is handed out annually during a lavish ceremony, normally in October, by the Princess of Asturias Foundation, which is presided over by Princess Leonor’s father, King Felipe VI.

The eight prizes cover different disciplines, from arts to social sciences or sports.