BnF Prize 2026 honors Alberto Manguel and Patti Smith
The Bibliothèque nationale de France gave its annual prize to writer and essayist Alberto Manguel for his body of work, with a special prize going to musician and writer Patti Smith.
The prix de la BnF 2026 was awarded on September 28 to Alberto Manguel, honoring his entire body of work, according to Livres Hebdo. A special prize from the same jury went to Patti Smith.
Manguel, an Argentine-born writer, translator and essayist known for books on the history and culture of reading such as A History of Reading, has long been associated with reflections on libraries and the act of reading itself, making the prize a fitting recognition for a writer whose subject has often been books and readers.
Smith, the American musician and writer, has also published memoirs and prose works alongside her music career. The Livres Hebdo report does not specify the reasoning behind her special prize or the composition of the jury.
No further details on the ceremony, ceremony location, or prize amount were included in the available report.
Sources
This article was written from these reports.
