Grand prix national des Lettres

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