Edmond Goncourt was a French writer born on May 26, 1822, in Nancy, France. He is best known for co-founding the Goncourt Prize, which honors outstanding French literature. Along with his brother Jules Goncourt, he wrote several novels that explored themes of realism and social issues in 19th-century France. The Goncourt brothers were influential in the literary world, and their works often depicted the lives of the bourgeoisie and the struggles of the lower classes. Edmond Goncourt passed away on July 16, 1896, leaving a lasting legacy in French literature and criticism.