Summary: Edmond Louis Antoine Huot de Goncourt ( 26 May 1822 – 16 July 1896) was a French writer, literary critic, art critic, book publisher and the founder of the Académie Goncourt. Goncourt was born in Nancy. For much of his life, he collaborated with his brother Jules creating works of art criticism, a notorious journal, and subsequently several novels. He was known to be fascinated with Rococo and Japanese art. He also collected rare books. After the death of Jules he continued to write novels alone.He bequeathed his entire estate for the foundation and maintenance of the Académie Goncourt. In honour of his brother and collaborator, Jules de Goncourt (17 December 1830 – 20 June 1870), each December since 1903, the Académie awards the Prix Goncourt. It is the most prestigious prize in French language literature, given to "the best imaginary prose work of the year".Marcel Proust, Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Tournier, Marguerite Duras, Romain Gary (who exceptionally won it twice) and Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano are among the authors who have won the prize.Edmond de Goncourt died in Champrosay in 1896, and was interred in the Cimetière de Montmartre in Paris.

Books of Edmond de Goncourt