Israel
- Israeli Literature
Israeli literature is
the literature of the people or State of Israel.
It is mostly written in Hebrew and the history of Israeli literature is
interesting because it is mostly the product of the revival of the
Hebrew language as a spoken language in modern times.
Since the middle of the nineteenth century, the Hebrew language was
increasingly used for speaking as well as writing modern forms of prose,
poetry and drama.
By law, the Jewish National and University Library of the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem receives two copies of each book published in
Israel. In 2004 it reported that it received 6,436 new books. Most of
them were published in Hebrew, and most of those books published in
Hebrew were original to the Hebrew language. Almost 8% of the 2004 crop
were children's books and another 4% were textbooks. According to the
type of publisher, the books were 55% commercial, 14% self-published,
10% governmental, 7% educational, and 14% published by other types of
organizations.
History
The selection of authors mentioned here is according to the articles
under References below. Quoted text is from the 2003 article except
where indicated otherwise.
The first Modern Hebrew prose in the Land of Israel was written by
"immigrant authors", for example:
* Yosef Haim Brenner (he:יוסף חיים ברנר) "saw flaws everywhere";
"favored the rabbinical and medieval forms of spoken Hebrew". Lived
1881-1921.
* Shmuel Yosef Agnon (he:שמואל יוסף עגנון) addressed "major contemporary
spiritual concerns"; loss of tradition, faith, and identity; "inner
uncertainties"; tragedy and the grotesque. Lived 1888-1970.
The 1940s and 1950s
During the 1940s and 1950s: "the War of Independence Generation".
Native-born writers were conflicted "between individualism and
commitment to society and state"; characterized by "social realism".
* S. Yizhar (he:ס. יזהר)
* Moshe Shamir (he:משה שמיר)
* Hanoch Bartov (he:חנוך ברטוב)
* Haim Gouri (he:חיים גורי)
* Benjamin Tammuz (he:בנימין תמוז)
* Aharon Megged (he:אהרון מגד)
* Igal Mossinsohn (he:יגאל מוסינזון)
The 1960s
During the early 1960s: "Very influential" writers followed less
"ideological patterns", and wrote more about the individual;
"psychological realism, allegory and symbolism"; "speculation and
skepticism regarding... conventions".
* Abraham B. Yehoshua (he:אברהם בולי יהושע)
* Amos Oz (he:עמוס עוז)
* Yoram Kaniuk (he:יורם קניוק)
* Yaakov Shabtai (he:יעקב שבתאי)
* Yeshayahu Koren (he:ישעיהו קורן)
The 1980s and 1990s
During the 1980s and 1990s: "Intense literary activity", aimed at
"enabling readers to understand themselves", characterized "three
generations" of authors, including Oz, Yehoshua, Kaniuk, as well as:
* Aharon Appelfeld (he:אהרון אפלפלד)
* David Shahar (he:דוד שחר)
* David Grossman (he:דויד גרוסמן)
* Meir Shalev (he:מאיר שלו)
About the Holocaust
The Holocaust was put in fresh perspective by Appelfeld and Grossman, as
well as (among others):
* Yehoshua Kenaz (he:יהושע קנז)
* Yonat and Alexander Sened (he:יונת ואלכסנדר סנד)
* Nava Semel (he:נאוה סמל)
* Esty G. Hayim
New themes
New themes arose:
* Anton Shammas (he:אנטון שמאס), "an Arab-Christian writer": "the Arab
village"; however, popular Israeli Arab writers such as Emil Habibi (a
recipient of the Israel Prize) continue to prefer writing in Arabic.
* Yossl Birstein (he:יוסל בירשטיין): the ultra-Orthodox world
* Haim Be`er (he:חיים באר): "Jerusalem's Hassidic courts"
* Dov Elbaum, Michal Govrin: additional writers in the "religious
dimension" (Furstenberg)
* Yitzhak Orpaz-Auerbach (he:יצחק אוורבוך אורפז): the "unbeliever" when
"fundamentalism is gaining"
* Sami Michael (he:סמי מיכאל), Albert Suissa (he:אלברט סויסה), Dan
Benaya Seri (he:דן בניה-סרי): "the place of... new immigrants from Arab
countries"
* Shimon Ballas (he:שמעון בלס), Eli Amir (he:אלי אמיר), Amnon Shamosh (he:אמנון
שמוש), Yitzhak Gormezano-Goren: additional writers about the Sephardi
experience
* Yitzhak Ben-Ner (he:יצחק בן נר), as well as Kaniuk, Grossman, Oz:
"universal themes such as democracy and righteousness" during "constant
challenges"
Women authors
Women authors became more prominent on "general topics", as well as
women's role within "Jewish tradition and... in the Zionist enterprise":
* Amalia Kahana-Carmon (he:עמליה כהנא-כרמון)
* Hannah Bat-Shahar (he:חנה בת שחר) - erotica
* Shulamith Hareven (he:שולמית הראבן)
* Shulamit Lapid (he:שולמית לפיד)
* Ruth Almog (he:רות אלמוג)
* Savyon Liebrecht (he:סביון ליברכט)
* Batya Gur (he:בתיה גור)
* Eleonora Lev
* Yehudit Hendel (he:יהודית הנדל)
* Leah Aini
* Nurit Zarchi (he:נורית זרחי)
Detective fiction
Some of the above women (Lapid and Gur) began writing detective fiction,
as well as the following men and women:
* Michael Barak, pen name of Michael Bar Zohar, writing Hebrew detective
fiction at least as early as 1972
* Amnon Dankner (he:אמנון דנקנר)
* Ram Oren (he:רם אורן)
* Amnon Jacont (he:אמנון ז'קונט)
* Adiva Geffen
The younger generation
A "younger generation" of authors that is "more universalistic",
"alienated, surreal and idiosyncratic":
* Judith Katzir (he:יהודית קציר)
* Etgar Keret (he:אתגר קרת): mostly short stories
* Orly Castel-Bloom (he:אורלי קסטל בלום): mostly short stories
* Gadi Taub (he:גדי טאוב)
* Irit Linoor (he:עירית לינור): popular fiction, humorous romance and
suspense
* Mira Magen (he:מירה מגן): experiences of ultra-orthodox women
* Shimon Zimmer
* Lily Perry (he:לילי פרי)
* Yitzhak Laor (he:יצחק לאור)
Some postmodernist writers:
* Itamar Levy
* Yoel Hoffmann (he:יואל הופמן)
Late 1990s
A new front of young authors active in the late 1990's and new
millennium (see also [2])
* Dorit Rabinyan (he:דורית רבינין)
* Yael Hadaya (he:יעל הדיה)
* Alon Hilu
* Dudu Bossi
* Eshkol Nevo
* Moshe Ophir
* Efrat Danon
* Alex Epstein (postmodern)
* Maya Arad (novel in rhyme)
* Shimon Adaf (poetry and a detective novel)
* Yuval Shimoni
* Avner Shavit
* Benny Ziffer
Authors of children's books
Writing for children:
* Uri Orlev (he:אורי אורלב)
* Yehuda Atlas (he:יהודה אטלס): set a trend of writing short poems from
a child's perspective
* Ephraim Sidon: satirical writer, often writing for adults under the
guise of children's books
* Nira Harel
* Tamar Bergman
* Gila Almagor (he:גילה אלמגור): mostly autobiographical novels
* Daniella Carmi
* Dorit Orgad: prolific writer for pre-teens and young adults
* Michal Snunit: short illustrated books, allegories on spirituality and
emotion, popular as gift books for adults
* Alona Frankel: "Once Upon a Potty"
* Galila Ron-Feder Amit: prolific writer for pre-teens and young adults
* Smadar Shir: prolific writer for pre-teens and young adults
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_literature
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