The Prix Femina is not exclusive to women but it is chosen by a jury of only women. The prize was initially established in 1904 by the women's magazine, La Vie Heureuse, and the name of the prize shifted back and forth in the early days between Prix Femina and Prix Vie Heureuse as those two rival women's magazines transitioned between various owners and editors. Similar to other major awards, the Prix Femina has expanded to include awards in other more specific categories including international authors as well as different genres. Le Prix Femina Étranger, established in 1985, most recently selected two American authors, John Edgar Wideman (2017) and Alice McDermott (2018) for the award. Le Prix Femina des Lycéens was established in 2016 and is composed of a jury of high school children from the region of Normandy. There is also a Prix Femina de l'essai, established in 1999 which awards noteworthy essays. In 2004 the winner was Roger Kempf with his essay entitled, L'Indiscrétion des frères Goncourt. A short history of the Prix Femina External highlights the controversies and successes of this prestigious and unique award. For more information on French women's magazines see Fashion & French Women's Press in this guide.
The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. In some instances titles are provided in French indicating that a translation exists but is not available at the Library.