Didier Decoin, Goncourt Prize Winner, Dies at 81

French novelist Didier Decoin, who won the Prix Goncourt in 1977 for his novel 'John l'Enfer', has died. The announcement was made on August 6, 2026, by Le Monde. Decoin, whose father was a prominent post-war film director, considered the award a second birth, as it helped him emerge from his father's shadow. He was 81 years old. The Prix Goncourt, one of France's most prestigious literary awards, was a turning point in his career. Decoin's death marks the loss of a significant figure in French literature.