Ram Oren (born 8 March 1936) is a popular
Israeli author who has sold an unprecedented 1 million books in Hebrew.
Oren was born in
Tel Aviv during the
Mandate era. At age 15, he began his journalistic career as a messenger boy for ''
Yediot Aharonot
''Yedioth Ahronoth'' ( he, יְדִיעוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת, ; lit. ''Latest News'') is a national daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, Israel. Founded in 1939 in British Mandatory Palestine, ''Yedioth Ahronoth'' is the largest paid n ...
'', and was a correspondent for that newspaper from 1952 to 1955. From 1955 to 1958, he served in the
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
as a reporter for the IDF's weekly magazine ''
Bamahane''. From 1958 to 1963, he studied law at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...
. From 1964 to 1994, he worked again for ''Yediot Aharonot''. He advanced to editorship of important sections in the newspaper, and was at one point its chief correspondent in
New York City. He only began his career as a literary writer at a relatively advanced age.
In 1994, he published his first book, ''Seduction'' (
Keter Publishing
Keter ( he-a, כֶּתֶר, Keter.ogg, link=yes, ''Keṯer'', lit. "crown") also known as Kether, is the topmost of the sephirot of the Tree of Life in Kabbalah. Since its meaning is "crown", it is interpreted as both the "topmost" of the Sep ...
). The book did not sell well at first, and was considered a commercial failure. Then Oren appeared on
Dan Shilon's television show, the most popular Israeli talk show at the time. The appearance was a springboard for the book, which turned into one of Israel's most popular bestsellers ever. A 2002 movie adaptation was also successful.
Oren's success at the tills, nearly unprecedented in Israeli publishing, led him to found a publishing house, "Keshet".
[ Founded in 1996, the company advertises Oren's books as well as bestsellers by authors such as Shifra Horn, Irit Linoor, Shelly Yachimovich, and Koby Oz.
Oren's books are known for their fast pace and gripping plots. Since his first success, Oren tries to present a picture of various phenomena in the national culture, such as the seeking of eastern mysticism in ]ashram
An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or a ...
s. His books have been translated into several languages, including English and French.
Most of his books are in the detective fiction
Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...
genre. In 2002 his first book presenting a historical episode was published, ''Latrun'', employing his compelling, readable style. In 2004 he published another book in this category, ''Target: Tel Aviv'', concerning the Egyptian Army's invasion of Israel in the War of Independence.
Oren lives in Tel Aviv. He has been married to his wife Nitza since 1961. They have three children and grandchildren.
Books
List of published booksGertruda's Oath
''Gertruda's Oath: A Child, a Promise, and a Heroic Escape During World War II'' is a 2009 book (originally published in Israel as ''ha-Shevu'ah'' in 2007) by Ram Oren and translated by Barbara Harshav. It follows the story of a Jewish boy, Michae ...
'' (2007). English translation released by Doubleday in 2009
* Chief of Staff (novel; 2007)
* Ghosts (suspense; 2008)
* Green Card (suspense; 2008)
* From the Bible with Love (biblical stories; 2009)
* Sylvia Rafael: The Life and Death of a Mossad Spy. With Moti Kfir. (biographical novel; 2010)
* One Child Too Many (suspense; 2010)
* Secrets (novel; 2011)
* Double Identity (suspense; 2011)
* Yearning Soul (historical novel; 2012)
* Black Sheep (suspense; 2012)
* The Red Scarf (historical novel; 2013)
* Mother (novel; 2014)
* Painful Love: Shiri (trilogy, part 1; 2014)
* Painful Love: Danny (trilogy, part 2; 2015)
* Painful Love: Amira (trilogy, part 3; 2015)
* Live TV (novel; 2016)
References
External links
Ram Oren's official web site
רם אורן- דף מרצה
Ram Oren's lecturer page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oren, Ram
1936 births
Living people
Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Law alumni
Israeli lawyers
Israeli novelists
Writers from Tel Aviv
Yedioth Ahronoth people
Israeli thriller writers