About
Albert Cohen, born in Corfu to a Romaniote Jewish family, moved to Marseille and then Geneva, where he studied law. An international civil servant, he directed La Revue Juive and worked for the ILO and the Zionist Organization. During World War II, he helped refugees in London. His major work, the Solal cycle, includes Belle du Seigneur, which won the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française. He also wrote Le Livre de ma mère, a moving tribute to his mother.
* 1895-08-16 — † 1981-10-17
Major works
- Solal (1930)novel
- Mangeclous (1938)novel
- Le Livre de ma mère (1954)autobiographical narrative
- Belle du Seigneur (1968)novel
- Les Valeureux (1970)novel
Key milestones
- 1919Obtained Swiss citizenship.
- 1968Received the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française for Belle du Seigneur.
- 1993His complete works were published in the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade.
Themes
Jewish identitylove and passionexile and belongingmaternal memoryabsurdity of the human condition
Sources: britannica.com · id.loc.gov · oxfordreference.com