Assaf Gavron ( he, אסף גברון; born 21 December 1968) is an Israeli writer, novelist, translator and musician, formerly a journalist and

hi-tech High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...

worker. His books have been translated to several languages and won awards such as the

Bernstein Prize The Bernstein Prize is an annual Israeli literary award for writers 50 years of age and younger. The prize is awarded by the Bernstein Foundation, named after Mordechai Bernstein, who left money in his estate to establish a foundation in order to ...

for ''The Hilltop'' (2013), Prix ''

Courrier International ''Courrier International'' ( French for "International Mail") is a Paris-based French weekly newspaper which translates and publishes excerpts of articles from over 900 international newspapers. It also has a Portuguese and a Japanese edition. '' ...

'' (France) for ''Croc Attack'' (2012), "Ein Buch für die Stadt" (

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

, Germany) for the same novel (2012), and the Israeli Prime Minister Award for authors (2011).

Biography

Assaf Gavron was born in the town of Arad in 1968 and grew up in

Motza Illit Motza Illit ( he, מוֹצָא עִלִּית, מוצא עילית, ''lit.'' Upper Motza) is a community settlement in central Israel. Motza Illit is located on a picturesque slope overlooking the Jerusalem Mountains, Ein Karem, the Motza Valley ...

near

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. Studied BA in Media and Communication in

Goldsmiths' College Goldsmiths, University of London, officially the Goldsmiths' College, is a constituent research university of the University of London in England. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the Wor ...

in London, UK (1991–1994), and

New Media New media describes communication technologies that enable or enhance interaction between users as well as interaction between users and content. In the middle of the 1990s, the phrase "new media" became widely used as part of a sales pitch for ...

in Vancouver, Canada (1997). In the 1990s he worked as a journalist for several Israeli newspapers. Between 2000–2004 he was a creative director for Israeli high-tech company Valis. He has been teaching creative writing in Israel (

Bar-Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, he, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic i ...

Ramat Gan Ramat Gan ( he, רָמַת גַּן or , ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located east of the municipality of Tel Aviv and part of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. It is home to one of the world's major diamond exchanges, and many ...

, the

Sam Spiegel Film and Television School The Sam Spiegel Film and Television School is a film and television school in Israel that was founded in 1989. It was renamed in honor of Sam Spiegel in 1996, with the support of the Sam Spiegel Estate. The school has been the subject of some 19 ...

in Jerusalem, and

Sapir Academic College Sapir College ( he, המכללה האקדמית ספיר, ''HaMikhlela HaAkademit Sapir'') is a college in Israel, located in the northwestern Negev desert near Sderot. It is the largest public college in Israel, with an enrollment of 8,000 stude ...

Sderot Sderot ( he, שְׂדֵרוֹת, , lit. ''Boulevards'', ar, سديروت) is a western Negev city and former development town in the Southern District of Israel. In it had a population of . Sderot is located less than a mile from Gaza (the c ...

) and the United States (

University of Nebraska Omaha The University of Nebraska Omaha (Omaha or UNO) is a public research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1908 by faculty from the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a private non-sectarian college, the university was originally kno ...

and

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

). Gavron has worked creating video games and as a rock musician; he has also translated American novels (

Portnoy's Complaint ''Portnoy's Complaint'' is a 1969 American novel by Philip Roth. Its success turned Roth into a major celebrity, sparking a storm of controversy over its explicit and candid treatment of sexuality, including detailed depictions of masturbation us ...

among them) into Hebrew. He lives in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

, is divorced and has two daughters.

Works

* ''Ice'' (אייס): novel, Tel Aviv: Gvanim, 1997. * ''Sex in the Cemetery'' (מין בבית העלמין): story collection, Tel Aviv: Zmora-Bitan, 2000. * ''Moving'' (מובינג): novel, Or Yehuda: Zmora-Bitan Publishing, 2003. (German: ''Alles Paletti'',

Luchterhand Literaturverlag The Luchterhand Literaturverlag is a German publisher of contemporary literature based in Munich. It was founded in 1924, and was acquired by Random House in 2001. Luchterhand is considered one of the most prestigious publishers in Germany. Public ...

, 2010) * ''CrocAttack'' (תנין פיגוע): novel, Or Yehuda: Kinneret Zmora-Bitan, 2006. (German: ''Ein schönes Attentat'', Luchterhand Verlag, 2008; Dutch: ''Krokodil van de aanslagen'', Ailantus, 2009; Italian: ''La mia storia, la tua storia'', Mondadori, 2009; French: ''Croc Attack'', Rivages, 2010; English (UK): ''CrocAttack'', 4th Estate, 2010; English (US): ''Almost Dead'', HarperCollins, 2010; English (Canada): ''Almost Dead'', Harper Canada, 2010; Greek: ''Croc Attack'', Bartzolulianos, 2013; Bulgarian: ''Almost Dead'', Enthusiast, 2014) * ''Hydromania'' (הידרומניה): novel, Or Yehuda: Kinneret Zmora-Bitan, 2008. (German: ''Hydromania'', Luchterhand Verlag, 2009; Dutch: ''Hydromania'', Ailantus, 2010; Italian: ''Idromania'', La Giuntina, 2013) * ''Eating Standing Up'' (אוכל בעמידה): collection of journalism, Jerusalem: Uganda, 2009. * '' The Hilltop'' (הגבעה): novel, Tel Aviv: Books in the Attic (Sifrey Aliyat Hagag), 2013. (German: ''Auf fremdem Land'', Luchterhand Verlag, 2013; Dutch: ''De Nederzetting'', Nieuw Amsterdam, 2014; French: ''Les Innocents'', Rivages, 2014; Italian: ''La Colina'', La Giuntina, 2014; English (US): ''The Hilltop'', Scribner, 2014; English (UK): ''The Hilltop'', One World, 2014; Swedish: ''Uppe på höjden'',

Natur & Kultur Natur & Kultur is a Swedish publishing foundation with head office in Stockholm known for an extensive series of teaching materials. Its logotype is an apple tree. Overview The publishing house was founded in 1922 by Johan Hansson and his wif ...

, 2015; Czech: ''Osada na pahorku'', Pistorius & Olšanská, 2017). * ''Eighteen Lashes'' (שמונה-עשרה מלקות), Books in the Attic (Sifrey Aliyat Hagag), 2017. (German: ''Achtzehn Hiebe'', Luchterhand Verlag, 2018; Italian: ''Le diciotto frustate'', La Giuntina, 2019).

Awards and accolades

* ''The Hilltop'' won the Israeli

(2013) and was long listed for the

Sapir Prize The Sapir Prize for Literature of Israel is a prestigious annual literary award presented for a work of literature in the Hebrew language. The prize is awarded by Mifal HaPayis (Israel's state lottery), and is a part of the organization's cultural ...

(2014). * ''CrocAttack'' won the ''

'' Prix in France (2013) and the "Buch für die Stadt" prize in

, Germany (2012). It was short listed for the Adei-Wizo Prize in Italy (2010) and long listed for the

Dayton Literary Peace Prize The Dayton Literary Peace Prize is an annual United States literary award "recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace" that was first awarded in 2006. Awards are given for adult fiction and non-fiction books published at some point ...

in the US (2011).The Books was also listed among the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' book critic's 10 favorite books of 2010 (). * ''Hydromania'' won the Wizo Prize in the Netherlands (2012) and the

Geffen Award The Geffen Award ''(פרס גפן)'' is an annual literary award given by the Israeli Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy since 1999, and presented at the ICon festival, the annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, It is named in honour ...

in Israel (2009). * 2010: DAAD artists-in-Berlin fellowship. * 2011: Israeli Prime Minister Award for Authors

Other activities

Apart from his original works, Gavron is a literary translator from English to Hebrew. Among the more than twenty books he translated are

J.D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger (; January 1, 1919 January 27, 2010) was an American author best known for his 1951 novel ''The Catcher in the Rye''. Salinger got his start in 1940, before serving in World War II, by publishing several short stories in ''S ...

's '' Nine Stories'',

Philip Roth Philip Milton Roth (March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophicall ...

's ''

'',

Jonathan Safran Foer Jonathan Safran Foer (; born February 21, 1977) is an American novelist. He is known for his novels ''Everything Is Illuminated'' (2002), '' Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close'' (2005), '' Here I Am'' (2016), and for his non-fiction works ''Eatin ...

's ''

Everything is Illuminated ''Everything Is Illuminated'' is the first novel by the American writer Jonathan Safran Foer, published in 2002. It was adapted into a film of the same name starring Elijah Wood and Eugene Hütz in 2005. The book's writing and structure recei ...

'',

J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and Philanthropy, philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to ...

's ''

The Casual Vacancy ''The Casual Vacancy'' is a 2012 novel written by J. K. Rowling. The book was published worldwide by the Little, Brown Book Group on 27 September 2012. A paperback edition was released on 23 July 2013. It was Rowling's first publication since ...

'' and

Audrey Niffenegger Audrey Niffenegger (born June 13, 1963) is an American writer, artist and academic. Her debut novel, ''The Time Traveler's Wife'', published in 2003, was a bestseller. Biography Audrey Niffenegger was born in 1963 in South Haven, Michigan. Then ...

's ''

The Time Traveler's Wife ''The Time Traveler's Wife'' is the debut novel by American author Audrey Niffenegger, published in 2003. It is a love story about Henry, a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about Clare, his wife, an ...

''. Gavron is the singer and songwriter with Israeli cult pop band The Mouth and Foot (הפה והטלפיים), that has released five albums between 1989 and 2013. He is the Founder and Captain of the Israeli Writers Football national team. He was the chief writer of video game ''

Peacemaker Peacemaker or The Peacemaker (in various forms) may refer to: Individuals and groups * UN Peacemaker, a project of the UN to support international peacemakers and mediators * Peace makers, a list of contemporary individuals and organizations inv ...

''.

References

External links

*
Mouth and Foot's website
''CrocAttack'' / ''Almost Dead'': * David L. Ulin
Book review: 'Almost Dead' by Assaf Gavron
''

'', May 16, 2010 *

Jon Papernick Jonathan "Jon" Papernick (born 1970) is a Canadian-born American short story writer, novelist and storyteller. Career Papernick (pronounced Paper—nick) was born in Toronto, Ontario. He is the author of ''The Ascent of Eli Israel'', a collect ...

A balanced achievement
''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', June 29, 2010 * James Smart
Croc Attack!, by Assaf Gavron – review
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', February 5, 2011 ''The Hilltop'': * Anshel Pfeffer
Documenting a warped and psychotic society in Israel's Wild West
''

Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...

'', August 12, 2013 * Jessica Steinberg
A writer’s life in translation
''

The Times of Israel ''The Times of Israel'' is an Israeli multi-language online newspaper that was launched in 2012. It was co-founded by Israeli journalist David Horovitz, who is also the founding editor, and American billionaire investor Seth Klarman.

'', January 30, 2014 * Dan Friedman
Of Frum Hippies, West Bank Settlements and Leo Tolstoy
''

The Forward ''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ' ...

'', December 3, 2014 * Ian Sansom
The Hilltop by Assaf Gavron review – ‘an extraordinary view of contemporary Israeli society’
''

'', 19 December 2014 * Mark Katkov
The Hilltop: A Novel
NPR’s Book Concierge 2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Gavron, Assaf 1968 births Living people Bernstein Prize recipients Israeli journalists Israeli musicians Israeli novelists Israeli translators Sapir Academic College faculty People from Arad, Israel Israeli people of British-Jewish descent Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London People from Motza Illit