French writer Lydie Salvayre on Wednesday won France's top literary prize, the Goncourt, for her book "Pas Pleurer" ("Don't cry") in which she interweaves the voices of her mother and a French author, Georges Bernanos, during the Spanish Civil War.
The winner of the Goncourt receives the nominal sum of 10 euros ($12) -- but can expect to see book sales jump to around 400,000 in what is considered a jackpot for authors.