Philippe Vasset wins Prix Médicis for Dans les grandes lignes

Writer and journalist Philippe Vasset has been awarded the 2026 Prix Médicis for his novel, Dans les grandes lignes, published by Flammarion. The book follows a journey across France, tracing the paths of high-voltage power lines over several months.

The jury, chaired by novelist Pascale Roze, selected Vasset’s work from six other finalists. Roze described the novel as a fascinating, concrete, and poetic exploration of geography and science. Vasset noted that his publisher was initially skeptical of the project, which involved walking hundreds of kilometers following electrical infrastructure.

In the foreign novel category, Spanish author Eva Baltasar won for Déclin et fascination. The essay category was awarded to Jean-Baptiste Del Amo for Une éclaircie. Additionally, a special prize was given to Richard Zenith for Pessoa, l'œuvre-vie, a biography of the Portuguese writer.