In his latest novel, Jean-Philippe de Tonnac imagines a silent crowd setting out for Rarogne, where, nestled against the church and overlooking the Rhône Valley, Rilke’s body lies. As the centennial of his death approaches, his readers have expressed a desire to honor the poet through this pilgrimage. Joining this group of devotees—more surprisingly—are those close to Rilke: his beloved women—Paula Modersohn Becker, Lou Andreas-Salomé and her partner Carl Friedrich Andreas, Marina Tsvetaeva, and Magda von Hattingberg—as well as Franz Xaver Kappus, the “young poet,” Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Leonid Pasternak, Auguste Rodin, and Paul Valéry.. On the path leading to the tomb, the dead meet and share their stories: which Rilke did they know? These are all opportunities for the reader to gain insight into his innermost thoughts.
Jean-Philippe de Tonnac is the author of some thirty books, including *A Summer with Umberto Eco* (Grasset), *The Mineral Time of Healing* (Actes Sud), and *The Circle of Healers* ( Guy Trédaniel). His novel *Azyme* ( Actes Sud) won the “Écritures et spiritualités” prize.
Fondation Rilke, Sierre. Free admission with registration (info@fondationrilke.ch).
