French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Corbellari, Cingria le vagabond des neumes
Writers: Biography, Letters and Memoirs

Cingria. Le vagabond des neumes

Alain Corbellari

Infolio éditions, coll. Presto, 2019

64 p. — ISBN 9782884744348

Charles-Albert Cingria has a reputation as a brilliant author, yet one too scattered to be truly readable. A friend of Ramuz, a contributor to the NRF, and a mentor to numerous contemporary writers, he nevertheless developed—beneath the seemingly fragmented surface of his work—a poetics of remarkable coherence. It is a resolutely "anti-modern" blend (and thus "modern in freedom," as Antoine Compagnon puts it) driven by a passion for the troubadours, a love of music, and an immoderate taste "quite simply for what exists." This volume traces his journey, from his privileged childhood to his vagabond life as a semi-homeless Parisian, highlighting the destiny of a body of work that, from whatever angle it is approached, remains a constant source of wonder.

Alain Corbellari was born in 1967 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. A professor of medieval French literature at the Universities of Lausanne and Neuchâtel, his research has spanned chansons de geste, fabliaux, and clerical literature, while specializing primarily in the history of medieval studies and the reception of medieval culture in modernity. He was one of the key contributors to the new edition of the Complete Works of Charles-Albert Cingria published by Éditions de l’Âge d’homme. With Infolio éditions, he published an exceptional memorial essay dedicated to Cingria (Florides helvètes de Charles-Albert Cingria, coll. Le cippe, 2011) and edited the major 14th-century poet Othon de Grandson (Poésies choisies. Le Livre Messire Ode et Poèmes de la Saint-Valentin, coll. Microméga, 2017).

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The Presto series

The Presto series brings well-known or overlooked Swiss figures and themes back into the spotlight. Its aim? To offer the most streamlined synthesis possible (hence the series' name) on a wide variety of subjects, while targeting the broadest possible audience. All titles are strictly 64 pages long, including illustrations.

Published in the Presto series by Infolio éditions, this concise volume offers an accessible yet rigorous entry point into the life and work of Charles-Albert Cingria. Known for his associations with prominent literary circles and his deep appreciation for medieval troubadours and music, Cingria crafted a unique literary voice that defies easy categorization. Alain Corbellari draws upon his extensive expertise in French literature and Swiss cultural history to map the trajectory of an author whose seemingly fragmented output conceals a remarkable aesthetic unity and intellectual depth.

This book serves as a valuable resource for students of Swiss literature, enthusiasts of modernist prose, and readers interested in the intersections between medievalism and twentieth-century writing. By examining Cingria's journey from a privileged upbringing to a transient Parisian lifestyle, the study illuminates broader questions of literary marginality, artistic freedom, and the reception of early cultural traditions in the modern era. It will particularly appeal to those seeking a thoughtful synthesis of an influential yet often overlooked figure in Francophone letters.