Ion Vianu

Who is Ion Vianu?

Ion Vianu is a Romanian writer and psychiatrist, who was exiled to Switzerland in 1977. He is the son of literary critic Tudor Vianu and his wife Elena.

Ion Vianu became recognised as a radio personality for Radio Free Europe discussing attempts to use psychiatry as a political weapon. After the 1989 Revolution, he became actively involved in the reform of the system of psychiatric treatment in Romania to bring it up to world standards. Vianu, together with his friend Matei Călinescu published an autobiographical volume, Amintiri in dialog.

Ion Vianu's writings include memoires, novels and critical essays.

He published the novels Caietele lui Ozias and Vasiliu, foi volante, both being part of the cycle Arhiva trădarii şi a mâniei, dealing with Romanian society during the communist regime. He also published another two novels, Paramnezii and, in 2007, "Necredinciosul", inspired by his practice as a psychiatrist in the Western world. In 2009 he published Exercitii de sinceritate about his public life under the communist regime during the seventies. In 2010 he published an autobiographical novel, Amor intellectualis, dealing with some major figures from his youth and the tragic destiny of the intelligentsia under the communist regime. He also published collected critical essays under the name Blestem şi binecuvântare, and, in 2008, "Investigatii mateine", a biographical essay about the Romanian writer Matei Caragiale. Another volume of critical essays "Apropieri", was published in 2011.