Michel Houellebecq

The West's love-hate relationship with Islam and the Arab world dominates the race for France's top literary award, the Goncourt, with the winner chosen today over a lunch at a Paris restaurant that can often turn heated.

Within hours of a terrorist attack that decimated the staff at Charlie Hebdo, copies of the latest issue of the satirical French weekly were drawing bids of more than 70,000 euros ($82,400) online.

The West's love-hate relationship with Islam and the Arab world dominates the race for France's top literary award, the Goncourt, with the winner chosen today over a lunch at a Paris restaurant that can often turn heated.

Within hours of a terrorist attack that decimated the staff at Charlie Hebdo, copies of the latest issue of the satirical French weekly were drawing bids of more than 70,000 euros ($82,400) online.