Voltaire is one of my favorite authors and Zadig is one of my favorite stories. Indeed, at the beginning of his life, Zadig is a man who does not meet with glory and rewards, but is constantly deprived of what he could have deserved, even to the point of becoming a slave. He opposes jealousy, corruption, hypocrisy and supports justice and human rights. Despite his misfortunes, he is a leader and continues to work on his future projects until he wins the hand of Astarte, Queen of Babylon.
Zadig is also the novel that inspired Thierry Gillier to create the clothing brand Zadig & Voltaire. The brand has also created a literary prize to promote the avant-garde of French culture. The Zadig Prize is intended for young hopefuls and the Voltaire Prize is more generalist.