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Prix Formentor Literary Award Collection

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: MS, PA
Date: 19 Apr 2023

Biographical History

The Prix Formentor is an international literary prize given to the best unpublished manuscript submitted that year. The award was given from 1961-1967, then took a hiatus until it was reestablished in 2011. Works are submitted by publishers on behalf of the author. The winner(s) are chosen by vote at a meeting of representatives of the participating publishers. Winners receive a financial prize as well as guaranteed publication.

This particular set of material was donated as part of the Grove Press Records, and reflects Grove Press' participation in the award during the 1960s.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Prix Formentor Literary Award Collection consists of six series: administrative records, correspondence, financial records, photographs, printed material, and reader reports. Except for printed material, each series is subdivided by award year. The collection has received minimal processing, with the original arrangement and organization mostly preserved; as a result, some folders may contain items dated prior to or after the year that is indicated on the folder.

Administrative records includes contracts, press releases, lists of submitted works, meeting programs, lists of participating publishers, and so on. A good deal of correspondence is mixed in with this material.

Correspondence is primarily between Grove Press editor Barney Rossett and other editors and publishers, about the award process including submissions, arrangements for meeting/voting, selection of committee members, and so on.

Financial information deals largely with publishers' donations to support the award.

Photographs contains photographs of attendees at Prix Formentor events, including editors, authors, and publishers. There are also a few more formal publicity photographs.

Printed material consists mostly of newspaper and magazine clippings (both original and photocopies) about the award. These include press releases, book reviews, articles about the Prix Formentor and participating publishers, profiles of authors, and so on. There is a small amount of travel-related miscellany, such as maps and hotel brochures.

Reader reports contains evaluations by readers of works submitted for a given year.

Arrangement of the Collection

Series are arranged alphabetically. Within each series, material is arranged chronologically by award year; note that some folders may contain items dated prior to or after the year that is indicated on the folder. Printed materials are subdivided by format (clippings, posters, etc.)

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

See also the Grove Press Records.

Subject Headings

Persons

Rosset, Barney.
Salinas, Jaime, 1925-2011.

Corporate Bodies

Editorial Seix Barral.
Gallimard (Firm)
Grove Press.
Weidenfeld and Nicolson (Firm)

Subjects

Literary prizes.
Publishers and publishing -- Europe.
Publishers and publishing -- United States.

Places

Kerkyra (Greece)
Paris (France)

Genres and Forms

Book reviews.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Photographs.
Programs (documents)

Occupations

Publishers.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Prix Formentor Literary Award Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Donated as part of the Grove Press Records,

Processing Information

The collection has received minimal processing, with the original arrangement and organization mostly preserved.

Table of Contents

Administrative records

Correspondence

Financial records

Photographs

Printed mmterials

Reader reports

Inventory