To become a professeur agrégé in France, candidates must pass a difficult examination requiring more than a year of preparation. It is a very selective process that allows professeurs agrégés to teach at universities and lycees. Only a few positions are offered every year.

From 2022, candidates for the examination in English will have to read Carpentaria by Australian author Alexis Wright, the Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature, one of the three novels to be on the curriculum for 2022.

This is an amazing achievement as it will be the first Australian book on the Aggregation list in 50 years since Voss by Patrick White! Typically, English language books on the list come from the UK or the US. Carpentaria has also been chosen as one of five books on the ‘external’ list for Master’s students who are not yet teachers.

It is certainly wonderful to see a contemporary Australian indigenous author in the company of Shakespeare and Henry James. BRAVO to Alexis!