Paul Léautaud or the temptation of the Goncourt Prize A dive into the heart of the Goncourt first prize

Paul Léautaud’s name has been associated to the very first proclamation of the Prix Goncourt in 1903. Contrary to what was implied by some members of the fledgling Société Goncourt or by some well-established writers in the literary field, such as Octave Mirbeau, Lucien Descaves or Marcel Schwob, Léautaud never was on the verge of being awarded the Prize. Yet, it is this illusion that drove him to scramble in order to get the Prix Goncourt, from 1903 to 1907, before definitely renouncing to any literary prize.