Raphael Joseph Feiwel (1907 – 22 June 1985), better known as Tosco R. Fyvel or T. R. Fyvel (), was a writer, journalist and literary editor. In 1936–1937, he was active in the Zionist movement in Palestine, then under the control of the British mandate, and worked with

Golda Meir Golda Meir (; 3 May 1898 – 8 December 1978) was the prime minister of Israel, serving from 1969 to 1974. She was Israel's first and only female head of government. Born into a Jewish family in Kyiv, Kiev, Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine) ...

. The T R Fyvel Book Award, awarded to a "book which has given new insight into issues or events, shown a perspective not often acknowledged, or given a platform to new voices", is one of the five Freedom of Expression awards presented by

Index on Censorship Index on Censorship is an organisation campaigning for freedom of expression. It produces a quarterly magazine of the same name from London. It is directed by the non-profit-making Writers and Scholars International, Ltd (WSI) in association wit ...

Life and career

Fyvel was born in

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, Germany. His mother, Sterna (Schneerson), was from a Belarusian Jewish family, was a niece of essayist

Ahad Ha'am Asher Zvi Hirsch Ginsberg (18 August 1856 – 2 January 1927), primarily known by his Hebrew name and pen name Ahad Ha'am (, lit. 'one of the people', ), was a Hebrew journalist and essayist, and one of the foremost pre-state Zionist thinkers. ...

, and had worked for

Chaim Weizmann Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( ; 27 November 1874 – 9 November 1952) was a Russian-born Israeli statesman, biochemist, and Zionist leader who served as president of the World Zionist Organization, Zionist Organization and later as the first pre ...

. His father, Berthold Feiwel, from a

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

n Jewish family, was an executive director of

Keren Hayesod Keren Hayesod – United Israel Appeal (, literally "The Foundation Fund") is an official fundraising organization for Israel with branches in 45 countries. Its work is carried out in accordance with the Keren haYesod Law-5716, passed by the Kne ...

. Fyvel (or, as he then still was, Feiwel) studied the Moral Sciences tripos (i.e. Philosophy) at

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 250 graduate students. The c ...

, where he graduated with a third-class degree in 1928. Following his graduation, Fywel moved to Palestine, where he spent some time as an assistant to Meir in the

Histadrut Histadrut, fully the New General Workers' Federation () and until 1994 the General Federation of Labour in the Land of Israel (, ''HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael''), is Israel's national trade union center and represents the m ...

. Returning to Britain, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he worked in

counter-intelligence Counterintelligence (counter-intelligence) or counterespionage (counter-espionage) is any activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting ac ...

. Fyvel first met

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

in January 1940 when their mutual publisher,

Fredric Warburg Fredric John Warburg (27 November 1898 – 25 May 1981) was a British publisher, who in 1935 founded the company Secker & Warburg. He is best known for his association with the author George Orwell. During a career spanning a large part of the ...

, introduced the two men. Although Orwell did not agree with the proposed independent Jewish state in Palestine, they became friends and sometimes met at Warburg's home in

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

. The three men planned a series of pamphlets/essays to be published by

Secker & Warburg Harvill Secker is a British publishing company formed in 2005 from the merger of Secker & Warburg and the Harvill Press. History Secker & Warburg Secker & Warburg was formed in 1935 from a takeover of Martin Secker, which was in receivership, ...

Searchlight Books Searchlight Books was a series of essays published as hardback books, edited by T. R. Fyvel and George Orwell. The series was published by Secker & Warburg.Leab, Daniel J"George Orwell ''The Lion and the Unicorn: Socialism and the English Genius'' ...

.Rodden, John (2001) ''George Orwell: The Politics of Literary Reputation'', pp. 314-8. Transaction Publishers
At Google Books. Retrieved 18 June 2013. In 1945, he succeeded Orwell as literary editor of the ''

Tribune Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the Tribune of the Plebs, tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs ac ...

'' newspaper when Orwell left to become a war correspondent for ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

''. Fyvel remained in this post until 1949. In the early 1950s, he was a founder and contributor to '' Encounter''. From 1973 to 1983, he was literary editor of ''

The Jewish Chronicle ''The Jewish Chronicle'' (''The JC'') is a London-based Jewish weekly newspaper. Founded in 1841, it is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world. Its editor () is Daniel Schwammenthal. The newspaper is published every Fri ...

''.Rubinstein, William D. ''et al'' (2011) ''The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History'', p. 308. Palgrave Macmillan
At Google Books. Retrieved 18 June 2013. Fyvel was married to the South African-born Mary Kirschner.http://www.craiglevin.com/FamilyTree/HILLMAN_FAMILY_TREE.pdf Their daughter, writer Hannah Fyvel, was the wife of

Robert Gavron, Baron Gavron Robert Gavron, Baron Gavron (13 September 1930 – 7 February 2015) was a British printing millionaire, philanthropist and a Labour Party (UK), Labour life peer. Early life and education Gavron was the eldest son of Nathan Gavron, a patent ...

. Fyvel's great-grandson is actor

Rafi Gavron Raphael Pichey Gavron (born 24 June 1989) is a British actor. He had supporting roles in the films ''Breaking and Entering'' (2006), '' Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist'' (2008), '' A Star Is Born'' (2018), and the series ''Life Unexpected'' (20 ...

Publications

*1938: ''No Ease in Zion'' *1961: ''The Insecure Offenders'' *1964: ''Troublemakers: Rebellious Youth in an Affluent Society'' ( Schocken) *1968: ''The Frontiers of Sociology'' (

Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...

Kegan Paul Charles Kegan Paul (8 March 1828 – 19 July 1902), usually known as Kegan Paul, was an English author, publisher and former Anglican cleric. He began his adult life as a priest of the Church of England and held various ministry positions for m ...

, London) *1968: ''Intellectuals Today'' (

Chatto & Windus Chatto & Windus is an imprint of Penguin Random House that was formerly an independent book publishing company founded in London in 1855 by John Camden Hotten. Following Hotten's death, the firm would reorganize under the names of his busines ...

, London) *1983: ''George Orwell: A Personal Memoir''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fyvel, T. R. 1907 births 1985 deaths 20th-century English writers 20th-century British writers 20th-century British journalists English essayists Jewish English writers British literary editors Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge British people of Belarusian descent English people of Belarusian descent 20th-century British essayists