The grand prix national des Lettres () was created in 1950 by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize writers who have contributed to the influence of French literature. It has not been awarded since 1999.
List of laureates
1951: Émile Chartier, known as Alain 1952: Valery Larbaud 1953: Henri Bosco 1954: André Billy 1955: Jean Schlumberger 1956: Alexandre Arnoux 1957: Louis Martin-Chauffier 1958: Gabriel Marcel 1959: Saint-John Perse 1960: Marcel Arland 1961: Gaston Bachelard 1962: Pierre-Jean Jouve 1963: Jacques Maritain 1964: Jacques Audiberti 1965: Henri Michaux (refused) 1966: Julien Green 1967: Louis Guilloux 1968: Jean Grenier 1969: Jules Roy 1970: Maurice Genevoix 1971: Jean Cassou 1972: Henri Petit 1973: Jacques Madaule 1974: Marguerite Yourcenar 1975: André Dhôtel 1976: Armand Lunel 1977: Philippe Soupault 1978: Roger Caillois 1979: Marcel Brion 1980: Michel Leiris (refused) 1981: Pierre Klossowski 1982: Nathalie Sarraute 1983: Jean Genet 1984: Jean Cayrol 1985: André Pieyre de Mandiargues 1986: Kateb Yacine 1987: Robert Pinget 1988: Maurice Nadeau 1989: Jean-Toussaint Desanti 1990: Louis-René des Forêts 1991: Béatrix Beck 1992: Louis Calaferte 1993: Jean Tardieu 1994: Dominique Rolin 1995: Marthe Robert 1996: Patrick Modiano 1997: not awarded 1998: Michel Houellebecq and Jean Starobinski 1999: Réjean Ducharme and François Cochet
External links Grand Prix national des Lettres on the site of the Académie française Grand Prix national des Lettres on INA.fr (13 May 1953)