Chiaki Ida's 'A Person Who Likes Houses' Wins the Babelio Prize 2026, a Major French Reading SNS Literary Award!

The Babelio Prize (Prix Babelio) is a literary award organized by Babelio, a leading French book review and reading social network platform with 2.4 million users, launched in 2007. Established in 2019, it comprises 10 categories (French Literature, Foreign Literature, Non-fiction, Crime Novel/Thriller, Fantasy Literature, Romance Novel, Children's Literature, Young Adult Literature, Bande Dessinée, Manga) and is a highly regarded literary award in France, with winners determined by real reader evaluations and votes. For the 2026 Manga category, the top 10 nominated works were selected from those published locally between October 1, 2025, and May 1, 2026, that received a reader rating of 4.0 or higher out of 5.0. These included mega-hits from Japan and trending works originating in France. Final voting by general users took place until May 26, and 'A Person Who Likes Houses' has now been selected as the esteemed winner. 'A Person Who Likes Houses' French Edition Cover [Nominated Works for Manga Category] *Publisher and country in parentheses are for the original publication. 'A Person Who Likes Houses' (Chiaki Ida / Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha) 'Instinct' Vol. 2 (Inoxtag et al. / France) 'When I Couldn't Stand Being Alone Anymore' (idonaka / Pie International) 'Strange House' Vol. 2 (Akira Ayano , Amauzu / Ichijinsha) 'Barefoot Gen' Vol. 1 (Keiji Nakazawa) 'Hirayasumi' Vol. 9 (Keigo Shinzo / Shogakukan) 'The Devil's Ichigo' Vol. 1 (Shiro Usazaki , Shu Nishi / Shueisha) 'The Only Ending for the Villainess is Death' Vol. 8 (SUOL , Gwon Gyeoeul / KADOKAWA) 'Hotaru's Marriage' Vol. 5 (Oreco Tachibana / Shogakukan) 'Under the Oak Tree' Vol. 2 (P , Kim Suji , Seomal , namu / KADOKAWA) In previous years, this category has seen winners like 'The Promised Neverland,' 'SPY x FAMILY,' and 'The Story of the Yanagui,' which are world-renowned masterpieces representing Japan. This award signifies that the universal charm of 'A Person Who Likes Houses' has been deeply loved by French readers. Babelio Prize 2026 Award Ceremony The award ceremony was held on the evening of Wednesday, June 10th, local time, in Paris, France, where the organizers announced the winners. The official website also featured the winning works for each category along with reviews from users who voted. Presenter announcing the award for 'A Person Who Likes Houses' © DR Iker Bilbao, Editor-in-Chief of Soleil Manga (French publisher), reading Mr. Ida's message © DR Babelio Prize 2026 Winners - Manga Category Winner: 'A Person Who Likes Houses' ■ Review of 'A Person Who Likes Houses' "I absolutely love the gentleness that overflows from the colorful illustrations, and I've gained so much inspiration. I also really like how the author depicts the delicate connections between the characters." — Review by Babelio user, Yggdrasila Message of Joy from Chiaki Ida Author Chiaki Ida has sent a message expressing her joy upon receiving this award: "It feels like a dream that a book I meticulously drew at my desk in a small house in Japan is being enjoyed across the sea in France. Thank you to the Soleil Manga editorial department at Delcourt for bringing 'A Person Who Likes Houses' to France, and thank you to the readers who voted!" 'A Person Who Likes Houses' is an all-color comic and illustration collection in an omnibus format, depicting happy moments of daily life such as calming rooms, favorite household items, and a relaxing cup of tea, with warm-touch illustrations and essays. It has become a bestseller both domestically and internationally, with 200,000 copies sold in Japan and 80,000 copies sold overseas in 11 languages (Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, English, French, Ukrainian, Spanish, German, Russian *some planned, English and Russian not yet published). Page 11 'House 1: Sasa's Home' Page 12 'House 1: Sasa's Home' Page 13 'House 1: Sasa's Home' Page 14 'House 1: Sasa's Home' Book Information *Title: A Person Who Likes Houses *Author: Chiaki Ida *Release Date: February 1, 2023 *Price: 1,870 yen (tax included) *Format: A5 size *Pages: 122 pages *Table of Contents: Prologue / House 1: Sasa's Home / House 2: Kae's Home / House 3: Nanako's Home / House 4: Midori's Home / House 5: Akira's Home / Epilogue *ISBN: 978-4-408-64080-8 *E-book: Released on the same day *Availability and pricing may vary by e-book store. Please check each store for details. *Book Information Page: https://www.j-n.co.jp/books/978-4-408-64080-8/ Author Profile Chiaki Ida (Ida Chiaki). Illustrator and manga artist. Also works on book cover illustrations and in-book illustrations. Specializes in detailed and warm depictions. Her books include 'My Coloring Book: Dream Shops' (Nihon Vogue Sha), 'Looking Forward to Meals' (Bungeishunju), and 'Osamaru Ie: Chiaki Ida Art Collection' (Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha). Her books have a total circulation of approximately 500,000 copies. Her work on children's book illustrations includes 'Mr. Eccentric's Tea Party' (Gakken) and the 'Boku no Matsuri Nui' series (Kaikosha). X: https://x.com/dacchi_tt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dacchi_tt/