Anatolia College Libraries: Global Tales: Israeli fiction

Israeli fiction

Contemporary Israeli fiction vividly portrays the intricate tapestry of daily life within the country, delving into themes deeply rooted in Israeli society. From the complexities of military service, the enduring impact of wars, and the communal life in kibbutzim to the profound legacy of the Holocaust, these themes form the backbone of narratives. Moreover, the diverse cultural mosaic and the challenges faced by new immigrants serve as compelling focal points, offering rich and diverse subject matter for Israeli fiction.

Prominent authors

S.Y. Agnon (1888 - 1970)
One of the most prominent writer in Hebrew Literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 1966 “for his profoundly characteristic narrative art with motifs from the life of the Jewish people”. Born by Polish Jews in Ukraine he first wrote in Yiddish and then in Hebrew, under his own name or other pseudonymes. His works deal with the conflict of Jewish tradition and language and the modern world.
Yoram Kaniuk (1930 - 2013)
Yoram Kaniuk was an Israeli writer, painter, journalist, and theatre critic. Nonconformist , with a sharp sense of humor, Kanuk rejects classical narration. His writing, sometimes intricate, bears the stamp of the fantastic, constituting a blend of bitter irony and restrained tenderness. His preferred themes include the destructive nature of love, family ties, and their toxicity. However, his central theme is Jewish history, the Jews, and Israeli society.
Avraham B. Yehoshua (1936 - 2022)
Known for his staunch nativist views Yehoshua, sees the Jewish diaspora merely as a precursor to the establishment of the Jewish state, contrasting his singular Israeli identity with the adaptable nationalities of European Jews. His narratives adopt a polyphonic approach, encompassing diverse voices from Israeli society, addressing themes like integrating an Arab into a Jewish family in "A Late Divorce" (1982) and the quest for self-discovery outside Israel in "Open Heart" (1994).
Amos Oz (1939 - 2018)
He lived in Arad, Israel, even though he later moved to Jerousalem for his studies. His works are usually constructed in circles, layers of personal and inter-personal narrative, where personal psychological drama intertwines with the wider topics of society and politics, as well as family drama, all in the indirect context of religion. Oz’s criticizing view of Israel's ambivalent politics is consistent throughout most of his works.
Meir Shalev (1948-2023)
Meir Shalev was a celebrated Israeli novelist and newspaper columnist. A recurring theme in his writing the profound influence women have on the lives of men. Shalev's books have been translated into 26 languages.
David Grossman (1954-)
David Grossman was born in Jerusalem, 1954. He is the author of numerous works of fiction, nonfiction, and children's literature. His work has appeared in The New Yorker and has been translated into thirty languages around the world. He is the recipient of many prizes, including the French Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the Buxtehuder Bulle in Germany, Rome's Premio per la Pace e l'Azione Umitaria, the Premio Ischia- International Award for Journalism, Israel's Emet Prize, and the Albatross Prize given by the Günter Grass Foundation.
Yishai Sarid (1965-)
Sarid was born and raised in 1965 in Tel Aviv, Israel. He is the son of Yossi Sarid, senior politician and journalist. He is an active lawyer in Tel-Aviv. He writes literature alongside his legal career. He has published seven books which have been translated into ten languages and he has won many literary prizes. His works deal with themes such as the trauma of conflict and offer a deep dive into Israeli society.
Etgar Keret (1967-)
Etgar Keret is an influential author, filmmaker and actor born in Tel Aviv that uses his own style of diction, surrealism and a dark atmosphere, mostly through short stories and novels, to place the mundane under a light of absurdity. Constant conflict and antagonizing masculinity are persistent topics in his work as they intertwine with everyday life in Israel, hinting at Israel’s years-long history of friction. Often a thought-provoking read, Etgar’s literature is one of the most internationally acclaimed Israeli work of the time.
Mishani Dror (1975-)
Dror Mishani is an Israeli crime writer, translator and literary scholar, specializing in the history of detective fiction. His series of crime fiction, featuring police inspector Avraham Avraham, was first published in Hebrew in 2011 and is translated to over 15 languages, including English, Swedish and German.

Hebrew Literature
Britannica article providing an overview of the Hebrew literature, its history and influences.
Hebrew Literature
A Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia article
Jewish Literature
A Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature article
Jewish Book Council
founded in 1943, is the longest-running organization devoted exclusively to the support and celebration of Jewish literature. For over seventy years, Jewish Book Council has brought people together for meaningful discussions about Jewish life, identity, and culture through a literary lens.
Jewish Virtual Library
A source for information about Jewish history, Israel, U.S.-Israel relations, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism and Judaism.

Jewish Literature: a Very Short Introduction by Ilan Stavans
Publication Date: 2021-07-01
The story of Jewish literature is a kaleidoscopic one, multilingual and transnational in character, spanning the globe as well as the centuries. In this broad, thought-provoking introduction to Jewish literature from 1492 to the present, cultural historian Ilan Stavans focuses on its multilingual and transnational nature. Stavans presents a wide range of traditions within Jewish literature and the variety of writers who made those traditions possible. The story of Jewish literature spans the globe as well as the centuries, from the marrano poets and memorialists of medieval Spain, to the sprawling Yiddish writing in Ashkenaz (the "Pale of Settlement' in Eastern Europe), to the probing narratives of Jewish immigrants to the United States and other parts of the New World. It also examines the accounts of horror during the Holocaust, the work of Israeli authors since the creation of the Jewish State in 1948, and the "ingathering" of Jewish works in Brazil, Bulgaria, Argentina, and South Africa at the end of the twentieth century. This kaleidoscopic introduction to Jewish literature presents its subject matter as constantly changing and adapting.
Death of a Holy Land by Rose L. Levinson
ISBN: 9780739177723
Publication Date: 2013-06-20
Death of a Holy Land: Reflections in Contemporary Israeli Fiction, by Rose Levinson, uses the work of four contemporary Israeli authors as a lens into present-day Israel. Discussing the novels of Orly Castel-Bloom, Michal Govrin, Zeruya Shalev, and Yoram Kaniuk, the book argues for a new understanding of today's Israel. Crucial to renewed awareness is a view of the country that jettisons the notion of Israel as an exceptional, sacred state immune from 21st century discontents. Attention is focused on ways in which many of Israel's most pressing problems are linked to long-standing issues of Jewish identity. Continual reference to the novels gives weight and substance to Death of a Holy Land's underlying insistence on the need for a critical view of Israel as a country deeply ill-at-ease with itself.

Global Tales

Israeli fiction

Prominent authors

Read more