PARIS: Seven writers, including Virginie Despentes, and one writer in the second novel selection were chosen by the Prix Médicis on Tuesday, the jury announced.

Virginie Despentes is one of the favorites for the coveted prize, as is Monica Sabolo, aka first-time novelist Diety Diallo.

The last novelist to claim success is Victor Jestin, 28.

The jury narrowed the list of foreign novels to eight titles. Although a comic strip by American Alison Bechdel was included in the first selection, it is no longer there.

Published a first selection of ten essays, including Anthony Passeron’s book on AIDS in the 1980s, ranked among other literary prizes among novels.

A book critical of Russian power, “Z comme zombie” by Igor Gran, a novel denouncing the absurdity of the conflict that erupted in eastern Ukraine in 2014, and “Grey Bees” by Andrey Kurkov have been retained.

The Medici Prize will be awarded on November 7 in all three categories.

French Literature:

– Emmanuel Bayamac-Tam, “The Thirteenth Hour” (POL)

– Diety Diallo, “Two Seconds of Burning Air” (Limited)

– Virginie Despentes, “The Beloved Bastard” (Grasset)

– Claudie Hunsinger, “A Dog at My Table” (Grassett)

– Victor Jestin, “Dancing Man” (Flamerion)

– Olivia Rosenthal, “A Monkey at My Window” (Verticals)

– Monica Sabolo, “La Vie Secret” (Gallimard)

– Anne Serre, “Our Dear Old Lady” (Mercure de France)

Foreign Literature:

– Maria Sonia Christophe, “Mal d’Epoch” (Le Sos-Sol, Argentina)

– Girdir Eliasson, “Requiem” (La Puplade, Iceland)

– Andriy Kurkov, “The Gray Bees” (Liana Levy, Ukraine)

– Nicola Lagioia, “The Living City” (Flamerion, Italy)

– Leila Motley, “Walking the Night” (Albin Michaels, USA)

– Maria Stepanova, “In Memory of Memory” (Stock, Russia)

– Colm Toibin, “The Magician” (Grassett, Ireland)

– Alan S. Weiss, “The Autobiography of Teddy” (Gallimard, USA)

Trials:

– Carol Allemand, “Keep It All” (Ann Carrier)

– Philippe Bordas, “The Perfect Bachelor” (Gallimard)

– Clemens Boulook, “Our Apocalypse” (Stock)

– Igor Gran, “Z as zombie” (POL)

– Nastasja Martin, “East of Dreams” (The Discovery)

– Anthony Passeron, “Sleeping Children” (Globe)

– Krzysztof Pomian, “The Museum, a world history, volume III” (Gallimard)

– Anne Savelli, “The Marilyn Museum” (Uneducated)

– George Diddy-Huberman, “The Witness to the End” (Midnight)

– Annette Wieviorka, “Tombs”