In choice of Vargas Llosa, French Academy breaks rules and stirs debate

The august institution that sets the standards of the French language has admitted Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa as a new member, although he is 10 years older than its statutes allow and has never written a book in French. While no-one disputes the Nobel laureate’s literary merits, critics say his support for far-right politicians in Latin America risks “tarnishing France’s image” in the region.