FRANCE'S TOP LITERARY PRIZE -- THE PRIX GONCOURT -- WAS TODAY (MONDAY) AWARDED TO ANDRE PIEYRE DE MANDIARGUES FOR HIS NOVEL "LA MARGE" (THE MARGIN).

MONSIEUR DE MANDIARGUES (AGED 58) WAS AN UNEXPECTED WINNER WHO HAD NOT BEEN TIPPED IN ANY OF THE USUAL FORECASTS. HIS MOST POPULAR NOVEL TO DATE HAS BEEN "LA MOTORCYCLETTE" (THE MOTOR-CYCLE). IT HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH AND IS BEING MADE INTO A FILM STARRING MARIANNE FAITHFUL AND ALAIN DELON.

THE PRIZE ITSELF IS ONLY WORTH 50 FRANCS (ABOUT GBP4 AT THE NEW RATE) IS CASH, BUT IT CARRIES SUCH PRESTIGE THAT THE SALE OF THE WINNING BOOK IS ASSURED.

THE PRIZE IS AWARDED BY THE "GONCOURT ACADEMY", A JURY COMPRISING OF FRANCE'S TOP NOVELISTS WHO ARE THE EXECUTORS OF THE WILL OF THE BROTHERS JULES AND EDMUND GONCOURT, FOUNDERS OF THE PRIZE.

MONSIEUR DE MANDIARGUES, WHO HAS WRITTEN OVER A SCORE OF NOVELS WAS BORN IN PARIS IN 1909. HE FIRST STARTED WRITING POEMS IN 1933, BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1948 THAT HE FIRST HAD SOMETHING PUBLISHED.