Biography and publications | Michel Zink - Literatures of medieval France

Biography

Born on May 5 1945, Issy-les-Moulineaux (92).

Education and professional career

1964-1968 : Student at the École normale supérieure
1968-1970 : Assistant at the Sorbonne
1970-1972 : Assistant at the University of Tunis (national cooperation service)
1972-1976 : Assistant then Senior Assistant at the University of Paris-IV Sorbonne
1976-1987 : Professor at the University of Toulouse-Le Mirail
1987-1994 : Professor at the University of Paris-IV Sorbonne
1995-2016 : Professor at the Collège de France, holding the Littératures de la France médiévale chair
2000 : Member of the Institut (Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres)
2012 : Permanent Secretary of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres

Main current responsibilities

2000-2003, 2003-2006, 2006-2009, 2009-2012 : Vice-President of the Assembly of Professors of the Collège de France
2004-2005 : Chairman of the Board of Directors of the École normale supérieure
2004-2007 : Delegate of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres to the International Academic Union
2004-2009 : Member of the European Center for Doctoral Studies at the University Federico II of Naples
2005-2009 : Member of the International Advisory Board, Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University
Vice-Chairman of the Sauvegarde des lectures littéraires association
Member of the Supervisory Board, Presses universitaires de France
Member of the Scientific Council of the Royaumont Center for Medieval Music
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board, Institut collégial européen
Director of the Société des amis de la Romania, co-director of the review Romania
Member of the scientific committee of Cahiers de Civilisation Médiévale
Director of the " Lettres gothiques " collection, Livre de Poche (Hachette)
Co-editor of the classic " Livre de Poche
Co-director of the " Perspectives littéraires " collection, Presses universitaires de France
Member of the editorial board of Commentaire
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Bibliographie des écrivains français
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Translatio
Member of the Heresis reading committee
Member of the editorial board of Figurae: Reading Medieval Culture (Stanford)
Member of the Honorary Committee of Revue des Langues Romanes
General Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Fondation Singer Polignac
Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Fondation Hugot, Collège de France
Member of the Scientific Council of the École des Chartes
Co-director of the Revue critique de Philologie romane
Chairman of the Honorary Committee of the Société des amis d'Henri Pourat

Visiting Professor

1974, 1982, 1986 : Yale University
1978 : University of California at Berkeley
1981 : University of Konstanz
1987 : University of California, Arizona and New Mexico
1989-1990 : Polish universities
1992 : Swiss universities
1992 : University of Pennsylvania
1994 : University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
1996 : Johns Hopkins University
1997 : University of Rome " La Sapienza
1997 : University of Naples " Federico II
1998 : University of Santiago de Compostela
1998 : Johns Hopkins University
1999-2000 : University of Geneva
2000 : Japanese universities
2002 : Columbia University
2002 : Johns Hopkins University
2004 : University of Naples
2005 : Wesleyan University
2008 : University of Chicago
2009 : Stanford University
2011 : University of Zurich

Awards and distinctions

1986 : Chevalier dans l'ordre des Palmes académiques
1987 : Prix de l'Association internationale des études françaises
1992 : Member of the Académie de Versailles
1996 : Grande médaille d'or from the " Arts, Sciences, Lettres " society
1997 : Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1999 : Correspondent of the Institut, Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres
2000 : Member of the Institute, Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres
2001 : Officer in the Order of Academic Palms
2002 : Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur
2004 : Honorary doctorate from the University of Sheffield
2006 : Corresponding Member of the Medieval Academy of America
2007 : Balzan Prize
2008 : Commandeur dans l'ordre des Palmes académiques
2009 : Honorary member of the Académie d'Alsace
2011 : Officer of the Légion d'honneur
2011 : Foreign Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
2011 : Honorary member of the Académie de Versailles
2011 : Honorary doctorate from the University of Bucharest
2014 : Prix Provins Moyen Âge
2014 : Honorary member of the Académie de Lyon
2016 : Foreign correspondent of the Lisbon Academy
2017 : Member of the Académie française

Selected bibliography

Dictionary of medieval French

Matsumura T. and Zink M. (dir.), Dictionnaire du français médiéval, Paris, Les Belles Lettres, 2015, 3520 p.
The troubadours. A poetic history

Zink M., Les troubadours. Une histoire poétique, Éditions Perrin, coll. "Pour l'Histoire", 2013, 372 p.
Antiquarian books, living readings

Zink M., Livres anciens, lectures vivantes, Paris, Odile Jacob, coll. "Travaux du Collège de France", 2010, 352 p.
Only children can read

Zink M., Seuls les enfants savent lire, Paris, Tallandier, 2009.