The Artisans of Freedom

This past May 22, the Hôtel de Massa held a preview reopening, restored to its full splendor, to host the award ceremony for the 2023 and 2024 Elina and Louis Pauwels Prize. This distinction is awarded under the aegis of the Société des Gens de Lettres (Society of Men and Women of Letters), which is housed on the premises. Since 1998, this prize has annually honored an « essay that demonstrates a spirit of openness in the debate of ideas concerning the contemporary world and history. »

As president of the jury, Sylviane Plantelin—who has also served as Vice-President of the Nohant Chopin Festival for 15 years alongside President Yves Henry—welcomed the audience, which included many former laureates, with tangible emotion as she prepared to present the two latest editions of the prize. Created 25 years ago, the award was Elina Pauwels‘s way of paying tribute to her husband, Louis Pauwels, a multifaceted man « who never ceased to question the world, to push the boundaries of rational thought, and to build bridges between disciplines, particularly between literature and the other arts. » This intellectual approach would not have displeased George Sand, who was considered the evening’s spiritual patron. Indeed, it is worth remembering that she was a director of the Société des Gens de Lettres and, as such, features prominently on the Aubusson tapestry at the Hôtel de Massa, alongside the most eminent literary figures of the 19th century.

2023 Prize – Immigration: The Great Denial
After an introduction outlining the SGDL’s missions, its president, Christophe Hardy, highlighted the quality of the nominated essays and the discussions among the jury members. The writer Jean-Claude Bologne, a former SGDL president and jury member, welcomed François Héran, the 2023 Prize laureate for his essay « Immigration : le grand déni » (Seuil). A sociologist, anthropologist, statistician, and professor at the Collège de France, the author has made it his mission, supported by rigorous statistics and analyses, to provoke thought on a topic subject to opinions, polemics, and passions: immigration. Invoking « the art of nuance and orders of magnitude, » François Héran concluded with a touch of humor that the act of « taking the measure of things through his essay could be of service to political action. »

2024 Prize – To Whom Does Beauty Belong?
Sylviane Plantelin then awarded the 2024 prize to Bénédicte Savoy, a brilliant and charismatic academic and art historian in Germany and the United States, for her work « À qui appartient la beauté ? » (La Découverte). Starting from the observation that Western countries enjoy the free use of a unique heritage, they often forget that it belongs to other countries that have been cut off from their culture. Questions arise: should these works be returned to their countries of origin? Or should they be « conserved » for safekeeping in European and American museums? Or does beauty belong to those who fall in love with it? What is the « rightful » place? These are all questions without straightforward answers, but which « nevertheless call for an ethical framework and a new relationship between nations. »

Variations on Freedom
The evening was punctuated by readings of texts by Louis Pauwels, George Sand, and her daughter Solange on freedom in all its forms—individual, artistic, political, and feminine—a theme that was the common thread of their lives. These readings were excellently served by a duo of talented actors and enthusiasts of Romanticism, Ulysse Robin and Eugénie Pouillot, who are preparing, among other projects, a literary and musical performance to be given in Nohant in 2026 for the 60th anniversary of the Festival and the 150th anniversary of George Sand’s passing. The texts were illustrated with music— »the most perfect language, » according to George Sand—featuring works by Mozart and Chopin performed by a promising young pianist, Nils Kittel.
In conclusion, Sylviane Plantelin warmly thanked the laureates, the jury, and the SGDL for this award ceremony dedicated to honoring all those—researchers, writers, and artists—who strive to enchant humanity. This was exemplified by a Rachmaninoff Prelude which, under the virtuosic and jazzy touch of Nils Kittel, brought the evening to a close with depth and beauty.