Her portrait
For many years, Jessica Nelson retired early, lulled by the stories her mother read to her. Thus was born her passion for books, given further impetus by a great literature teacher who introduced her to novelists Marcel Proust and Albert Cohen: “What an eye-opener!” she says now.

She developed a growing interest in demanding literature and devoted a considerable amount of time to writing and illustrating stories for her own enjoyment. An excellent score on her baccalaureat (school leaving certificate) opened the doors to Sciences Po Paris (school of political science) where, to her delight, she learned to “decipher history and contemporary society,” even though she considers herself naturally disconnected from reality. She and two friends created a website devoted to literary criticism that gives her the opportunity to indulge her passion and meet professionals in the publishing world. Jessica has never lost sight of her primary goal: to write – “a real necessity for me,” she says. Having completed her degree, she is beginning to “seriously scribble away,” dividing her time between journalism, projects for various publishing houses, her first novel, Mesdames, Souriez, published by Fayard in August, a screenplay for a feature film, a youth novel, a short story and a stage adaptation.


Achievements since winning the grant

In november 2005, she collaborated with David Foenkinos, winner of the 2003 writer grant  on the collective work, Plumes et Dentelles (Ramsay).

In march 2006, she partipated to Cadavre exquis, the newspaper of the Salon du Livre de Paris.

Jessica  coordinate and schedule for tv programme Vol de Nuit. She is member of reading comitee in for Plon et litterary critic for Magazine littéraire and Citizen K. Lastly, she is a scenarist for Kuiv Prod

Jessica L Nelson (co-winner of the 2005 writer grant) has created  the La Closerie des Lilas prize, baptized "Prix Lilas". Four other women have participated to this prize : Emmanuelle de Boysson, Carole Chrétiennot, Tatiana de Rosnay and Stéphanie Janicot.

This prize will be awarded for the first time on March 7, 2007, day before 150th anniversary of the world day of the woman, à la Closerie des Lilas, in Paris. This prize has to crown a woman, novelist of French language whose novel is published in the beginning January 2007.