Anna Funder Wins the Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger – Essai for The Invisible Madame Orwell

Penguin Random House Australia is delighted to announce Anna Funder has been awarded the esteemed Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger – Essai for the bestselling masterpiece, Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life known in French as The Invisible Madame Orwell. This accolade highlights Funder's exceptional ability as one of the most inventive writers of our time.

In the Non-Fiction category, Anna Funder won with Wifedom, translated from English (Australia) by Carine Chichereau and published by Éditions Héloïse D'Ormesson. In this compelling work, Funder gives a voice to Eileen O'Shaughnessy, the wife of George Orwell, the renowned author of 1984. Using newly discovered letters from Eileen to her best friend, Funder creates a breathtakingly intimate portrait of one of the most important literary marriages of the 20th century. Wifedom is a galvanising account of how a woman can be buried first by domesticity, and then by history, and an ode to the unsung work of women everywhere today.

Wifedom has garnered significant international acclaim. Hailed as ‘spellbinding’ by the Financial Times, ‘a virtuoso performance’ by the New York Times and ‘a masterpiece’ by Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks. It was an instant Sunday Times Bestseller, and a New York Times Notable book of 2023. In the UK Wifedom was longlisted for the Women’s Prize, and shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize. In France, it has been shortlisted for some of the nation’s most prestigious prizes including the Prix Femina, the Prix Médicis and the ELLE Grand Prix des Lectrices. Funder's insightful narrative and powerful storytelling have resonated deeply with readers and critics alike, earning her now the distinguished honour of the Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger.

Anna Funder joins Hisham Matar for My Friends (Gallimard) in the fiction category. The prize will be presented to the winners on Thursday 28 November 2024 in Paris, France.

About Anna Funder

Anna Funder is an acclaimed author known for her works that examine courage, conscience and resistance against unjust power. Her books often depict the stories of ordinary people in  order to delve deeply and movingly into the price of bravery, and the human experience in general.  Her previous books include Stasiland, which won the most prestigious UK non-fiction prize, the Samuel Johnson (now Baillie Gifford Prize) and All That I Am, which received the Miles Franklin Award. Funder's writing is celebrated for its depth, empathy, and ability to illuminate untold stories.

About the Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger

The Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger (Best Foreign Book Prize) is one of France's most prestigious literary awards, established in 1948 to recognize outstanding foreign literature translated into French. It is awarded annually in two categories: Fiction and Non-Fiction (Essai). The prize aims to celebrate the richness and diversity of global literary voices and to introduce French readers to exceptional works from around the world.