The very first Prix Alice Rivaz was awarded to Yves Laplace on 1 October 2015 for his novel Plaine des héros, published that same year by éditions Fayard. This novel combines the individual and the universal, while weaving issues of the past and the present, and a quest for both one’s self and the truth, a quest which also pervades Alice Rivaz’ œuvre.

Yves Laplace’s novel presents a fascinating account of Georges Oltramare, one of the most prominent and most controversial figures on the political scene in Geneva during the interwar period. The author gives a voice to Georges Oltramare’s nephew Grégoire, who was raised by his uncle. As Grégoire recounts his uncle’s life and personality, he unwinds the spool of his achievements as the leader of the ‘Union nationale’ and editor of the antisemitic newspaper, Le Pilori.

Plaine des héros is a novel that innovates with its form and structure, comprising two parts of contrasting length. The first part is written like theatrical dialogue, while the second is written as a narrative. In the first part, the characters appear out of nowhere, whereas in the latter part they are well and truly rooted in the harrowing history of the 20th century and present a very evocative picture. Literature had rarely come this close to reality.

Under extraordinary circumstances during a trip to Russia, the narrator delves into Grégoire’s personal memories and discovers his secrets and the lesser-known side of ‘beau Géo’ (handsome George). Yves Laplace thus revives the events of the turbulent pre-war years and of the Second World War, in particular the tragedy of 9 November 1932 (the shooting of protestors in Plainpalais, Geneva) that inspired Alice Rivaz’ very first novel, which since has since been lost.

As Plaine des héros interweaves the past and the present, readers are called upon to take a stance and come to terms with history. Meanwhile, the complexity of the characters prevents readers from settling for a simplistic interpretation of the said ‘heroes’. The novel’s power to use irony and humour to evoke and question, results in a magnificent quest for meaning and truth.