Just like La Rentrée another ritual takes place nationally between mid-August and October when readers await another Rentrée Littéraire, or Literary Return. This year, in 2026, there are 461 new novels eagerly expected, and some will earn literary prizes, among which the most prestigious Prix Goncourt. As per Jacques Braunstein, Editor-in-Chief of Livres Hebdo, “This rentrée littéraire is characterized by a great diversity.” Out of the 461 novelties compared to 484 last year, there are 344 French novels, 117 novels translated from foreign authors, and 68 premiers romans or debut novels.
Here is our selection of the top 12 anticipated novels:
L’adolescence du perroquet by Amélie Nothomb (Albin Michel)
L’inconnu du quai de Javel by Philippe Jaenada (Flammarion)
Le pays des étés by Pierre Adrian (Gallimard)
Ne cherche pas le chaos by Marion Brunet (Albin Michel)
Je by Lilia Hassaine (Gallimard)
Championne by Nina Bouraoui (JC Lattès)
Faire la peau by Louise Chennevière (P.O.L)
La solitude des professeurs est infinie by Yannick Haenel (Gallimard)
Nous aussi by Anne Godard (Actes Sud)
Minotaure by Boris Bergmann (Albin Michel)
Chronique d’un royaume perdu by Ananda Devi (Grasset)
Le Palais by François-Henri Désérable (Gallimard)
…/…
Bonne lecture !
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