Grandson revives Armand Lunel's centenary Renaudot novel
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
Daniel Jessula has overseen a new edition of Nicolo-Peccavi, the novel that earned his grandfather Armand Lunel the first Prix Renaudot in 1926.
Armand Lunel taught philosophy at Lycée Albert-Ier for years before becoming, in 1926, the first writer ever to win the Prix Renaudot. His novel Nicolo-Peccavi, set in Provence and drawing on his own Jewish heritage, launched one of France's most respected literary prizes a century ago.
Now his grandson Daniel Jessula has brought the book back into print, working to ensure the centenary of that first Renaudot does not pass unmarked in the Principality where Lunel spent much of his teaching career. The new edition restores a text that had largely slipped out of circulation despite its historical weight as prize-winning fiction.
Jessula will host an evening dedicated to the novel and his grandfather's legacy on 26 November, giving Monaco residents a chance to hear directly from the family about a figure who shaped both the Lycée Albert-Ier and French letters. For anyone with an interest in the Principality's literary history, it is a rare opportunity to connect a local classroom to a national prize still awarded every November.