Alice Kaplan awarded Grand Medal from French Academy
Kaplan, Sterling Professor of French, was recognized for her "eminent contribution to the maintenance and illustration of the French language."
Alice Kaplan, Sterling Professor of French, has been awarded the 2025 Grand Médaille de la Francophonie from the Académie Française, France’s national academy for the French language. The venerable Academy, located on the Quai de Conti in Paris, has met since the 17th century to the preserve, enrich, and set standards for the French language.
The Grande Médaille de la Francophonie (also known as the Vermeil Medal) has been awarded annually since 1986 to recognize “the work of a French-speaking person who, on an international scale, has made an eminent contribution to the maintenance and illustration of the French language.” Previous winners include the Algerian writer Assia Djebar, the Belgian singer Stromae, and, in 2024, Yale’s Edwin Duval, Professor Emeritus of French.
Kaplan is a specialist of 20th century France. She works at the intersection of literature and history, blending archival research with textual analysis. She has published numerous books and articles in both French and English, including 2024’s Baya: Ou le gran vernissage, which earned her a special mention from the jury of the 2024 Mémoire Prix Littéraire Fetkann. At Yale, she founded and directed the Yale Translation Initiative at the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies from 2018–2024.
“It's a special honor to be recognized as Francophone, as one of the many millions of people outside metropolitan France who call the language their own,” Kaplan said of the award.