48 moments

1. Birth in Tananarive

   1913-10-10 · Antananarivo, Madagascar

   Claude Eugène Henri Simon was born in Tananarive, then in French Madagascar. Modern Antananarivo is the present-day name of Tananarive.

2. Schooling at Collège Stanislas

   1925-04-01 · Collège Stanislas de Paris, Paris, France

   Simon entered Collège Stanislas in Paris as a boarder following his mother's illness and death.

3. Return to Perpignan

   1931-01-01 · Perpignan, France

   

   After ending his preparatory mathematics studies, Simon returned to Perpignan and painted.

4. Painting studies in Paris

   1933-01-01 · Académie André Lhote, Paris, France

   Simon stayed in Paris with his guardian, enrolled at André Lhote's academy, and practiced painting and photography. Coordinates represent Paris because the chronology does not identify the academy's specific contemporary premises.

5. Spanish Revolution observation

   1936-09-01 · Barcelona, Spain

   Simon spent the latter half of September in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War and observed the revolutionary situation. The source does not give a day within the latter half of September.

6. Arms shipment preparations

   1936-10-01 · Marseille, France

   Simon participated in purchasing arms in Marseille for shipment to the Spanish Republican government. Month-level date is the maximum precision supported for his Marseille presence.

7. Arms transshipment at Sète

   1936-10-01 · Port of Sète, Sète, France

   Simon helped transfer an arms cargo at the port of Sète for the Spanish Republican government. The source gives an October-November range; October is used without an asserted day.

8. European journey: Berlin

   1937-01-01 · Berlin, Germany

   During a spring-and-summer journey, Simon visited Berlin before continuing eastward across Europe and the Soviet Union. The source supports only spring-and-summer 1937, not a more precise arrival date.

9. European journey: Moscow

   1937-01-01 · Moscow, Soviet Union

   Simon visited Moscow on his extensive 1937 European and Soviet journey. The source supports only spring-and-summer 1937, not a more precise arrival date.

10. European journey: Odessa

    1937-01-01 · Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

    Simon visited Odessa during the Soviet portion of his 1937 journey. Odesa is the modern spelling; the source supports only spring-and-summer 1937.

11. European journey: Warsaw

    1937-01-01 · Warsaw, Poland

    Simon visited Warsaw during his 1937 journey through central and eastern Europe. The source supports only spring-and-summer 1937, not a more precise arrival date.

12. Return journey through Arezzo

    1937-01-01 · Arezzo, Italy

    Arezzo was a particularly noted Italian stop on Simon's return journey in 1937. The source supports 1937 but gives no more precise date.

13. Return journey through Greece

    1937-01-01 · Greece

    Simon traveled through Greece while returning from his 1937 eastern European and Soviet journey. The chronology names Greece but no specific locality; coordinates are a representative national point.

14. Return journey through Istanbul

    1937-01-01 · Istanbul, Turkey

    Simon returned from his eastern journey through Istanbul. The source supports 1937 but gives no more precise date.

15. Mobilization in the Ardennes

    1939-08-27 · Ardennes, France

    Simon was mobilized as a brigadier in the 31st Dragoons; the regiment spent the Phoney War winter in the Ardennes. Coordinates are a representative point for the Ardennes region.

16. Capture and imprisonment at Stalag IV-B

    1940-05-01 · Stalag IV-B, Mühlberg/Elbe, Germany

    After surviving his squadron's ambush, Simon was captured and sent to Stalag IV-B at Mühlberg an der Elbe. The source places his capture on 18 May by sequence, but only month precision is retained because the transfer date is not separately specified.

17. Advance into Belgium

    1940-05-10 · Belgium

    With the 31st Dragoons, Simon advanced into Belgium to meet the German offensive. The source establishes Simon's unit's advance into Belgium but does not identify a locality; coordinates represent Brussels.

18. Crossing of the Meuse

    1940-05-11 · Meuse River, France-Belgium frontier region

    Simon was with the mounted 31st Dragoons when the regiment crossed the Meuse and began an eight-day retreat under German attack. The precise crossing point is not identified; coordinates are representative of the operational area.

19. Escape and return to Perpignan

    1940-10-27 · Perpignan, France

    After repatriation to a camp in the Landes, Simon escaped and returned to Perpignan. The chronology places this escape in October 1940; the precise arrival date in Perpignan is not stated.

20. Move to Paris during the Resistance

    1944-02-01 · Paris, France

    Warned of an impending Milice denunciation after providing services to the Resistance, Simon left Perpignan and settled again in Paris.

21. Picasso reading at Michel Leiris's home

    1944-03-19 · Paris, France

    Simon attended the reading of Picasso's play Le Désir attrapé par la queue at Michel Leiris's Paris home. The chronology identifies Michel Leiris's home but does not give a street address.

22. Visit to Arbois

    1946-01-01 · Arbois, France

    Simon went to Arbois to sell the house of his aunts Louise and Arthémise Simon.

23. Meeting Alain Robbe-Grillet at Royaumont

    1956-01-01 · Abbaye de Royaumont, Asnières-sur-Oise, France

    At Royaumont Abbey, Simon met Alain Robbe-Grillet, who read the manuscript of Le Vent and passed it to Jérôme Lindon.

24. Visit to Picasso at Antibes

    1956-01-01 · Antibes, France

    Simon visited Pablo Picasso in Antibes during the summer after completing Le Vent. The source supports summer 1956 but does not identify a specific day or venue.

25. Sorbonne lecture

    1961-01-11 · Sorbonne, Paris, France

    Simon delivered the lecture “Signification, roman et chronologie” at the Sorbonne.

26. Italian journey with Réa Karavas

    1962-04-01 · Italy

    Simon traveled in Italy with Réa Karavas, whom he had met in March 1962 and later married. No Italian locality is specified; coordinates are a representative national point.

27. Lecture in Lahti

    1963-01-01 · Lahti, Finland

    Simon gave a lecture in Lahti during the summer of 1963. The source supports summer 1963 but does not give an exact date.

28. Summer residence at Salses

    1963-01-01 · Salses-le-Château, France

    Simon began restoring an inherited family house at Salses and adopted the habit of spending summer months there. The source establishes a recurring summer residence beginning in 1963.

29. Conference in Vienna

    1967-04-01 · Vienna, Austria

    

    Simon participated through a conference contribution in the Vienna colloquium “Littérature : tradition et révolution.”

30. Journey in Greece

    1967-10-01 · Greece

    Simon traveled in Greece, a journey that informed the genesis of La Bataille de Pharsale. No specific Greek locality is identified; coordinates are a representative national point.

31. First visit to New York

    1968-01-01 · New York City, New York, United States

    On his first visit to New York, Simon visited the Museum of Modern Art and began a tour of the United States at university invitations. The source supports autumn 1968 but does not give an exact date.

32. Honorary doctorate at East Anglia

    1969-05-01 · University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, United Kingdom

    Simon received an honorary doctorate from the University of East Anglia. Attendance is directly implied by the in-person award context but the source does not state a ceremony date.

33. Writers' congress in Santiago

    1969-08-01 · Santiago, Chile

    Simon attended a writers' congress held in Santiago de Chile.

34. Nouveau Roman colloquium at Cerisy

    1971-07-01 · Centre culturel international de Cerisy, Cerisy-la-Salle, France

    

    Simon attended part of the Nouveau Roman colloquium at Cerisy-la-Salle and delivered the lecture “La Fiction mot à mot.” The source does not specify which days within 20–30 July he attended.

35. Claude Simon colloquium at Cerisy

    1974-07-01 · Centre culturel international de Cerisy, Cerisy-la-Salle, France

    Simon attended the complete week-long Cerisy-la-Salle colloquium devoted to his work and answered participants' questions.

36. Proust lecture in Oslo

    1975-01-01 · University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Simon gave his Proust lecture “Le Poisson cathédrale” at the University of Oslo. The chronology gives the year but not a month for the Oslo lecture.

37. Lectures in New Delhi

    1975-02-01 · New Delhi, India

    During a trip to India, Simon gave lectures in New Delhi and other university cities. The source does not identify the New Delhi venue or a specific day.

38. Lecture in Gothenburg

    1978-09-01 · Gothenburg, Sweden

    Simon gave the lecture “Roman, description et action” in Gothenburg.

39. Literary colloquium in New York

    1981-01-01 · New York City, New York, United States

    Simon participated in a New York colloquium with Alain Robbe-Grillet, Nathalie Sarraute, and Robert Pinget. The source supports autumn 1981 but does not give an exact date.

40. Conference in Geneva

    1982-05-01 · Geneva, Switzerland

    Simon gave a conference on Proust at a Geneva colloquium.

41. Visit to Moscow

    1984-01-01 · Moscow, Soviet Union

    Simon traveled to Moscow after an invitation from the Soviet Writers' Union. The chronology gives no month or exact travel dates.

42. Nobel lecture and prize reception

    1985-12-09 · Stockholm, Sweden

    Simon delivered the Nobel laureate's traditional address before the Swedish Academy in Stockholm and received the Nobel Prize in Literature. The source supports activity on 9 and 10 December; this card is dated to the lecture day, 9 December.

43. Issyk-Kul Forum in Frunze

    1986-10-01 · Frunze (Bishkek), Kyrgyz SSR, Soviet Union

    Simon attended the Issyk-Kul Forum in Frunze, Kyrgyzstan, with fourteen other invited figures and declined to sign the final collective declaration without changes. Bishkek is the modern name of Frunze.

44. Return meeting in Moscow

    1986-10-01 · Moscow, Soviet Union

    On the return journey from the Issyk-Kul Forum, Simon and the other guests were received by Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow. The source places this on the return journey from the October forum but gives no exact day.

45. Colloquium in Geneva

    1986-11-14 · Geneva, Switzerland

    Simon attended the Geneva colloquium organized by Lucien Dällenbach. The source gives a two-day date range; the card date marks its opening day.

46. Honorary doctorate at Bologna

    1989-10-01 · University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Simon received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bologna. Attendance is directly implied by the in-person award context, but the source gives no ceremony day.

47. Visit to Arbois

    1996-05-01 · Arbois, France

    Simon traveled to Arbois, where a street in the hamlet of Les Planches was named for him.

48. Death in Paris

    2005-07-06 · Paris, France

    Claude Simon died in Paris at age ninety-one. The source does not identify the exact site of death within Paris.