Sapir Prize
2018 Sapir Prize Shortlist Includes Novels By Shimon Adaf, Noa Yedlin
The shortlist for the 2018 Sapir Prize, often considered Israel’s top literary award, includes works by past winners Shimon Adaf and Noa Yedlin.
Orly Castel-Bloom Scoops Always Controversial Sapir Prize
The Sapir Prize — considered to be Israel’s equivalent of the Man Booker prize — has gone to Orly Castel Bloom. The Forward speaks to Castel-Bloom about the prestigious honor and her winning book “An Egyptian Novel.”
Israel Doesn't Have a Monopoly on Great Hebrew Literature
Hebrew literature is about a lot more than just Israel, Haim Weiss argues. So why are some trying to bar expat writers from winning the country’s biggest literary prize?
Only Writers Living in Israel Deserve To Win Its Biggest Prize
Should Israeli expats be allowed to win their home country’s biggest literary prize? Talia Carner says they lost that right when they chose to move away.
How Ruby Namdar Wrote the Great Hebrew American Novel
Ruby Namdar has won the Sapir Prize for his novel ‘The Ruined House.’ He speaks to the Forward about living in English but writing in Hebrew.
Writers Line Up For Israel's Top Literary Prize
The nominees have been announced for the Sapir Prize, Israel’s top literary award, including a novel by Reuven Namdar that takes place entirely in New York.
Embezzlement Drama Wins Israel's Top Literary Prize
The biggest point of contention with this year’s Sapir Prize, Israel’s equivalent to the Booker, was who the judges were and how they came to their shortlist of five nominees. But controversy should not take away from the achievement of winner Noa Yedlin for her “Ba’alat Bayit” or “House Arrest,” her second novel. Yedlin works as a journalist and is currently the deputy editor of the weekend magazine of the Ma’ariv newspaper; her first book was a collection of her columns “You ask, God replies” (2005), and her second a novel, “Track Changes” (2010). As winner, Yedlin will receive a 150,000 NIS prize, translation of her novel into Arabic and into another language of her choice.
Top Israeli Literary Award Goes to Underdog
At a gala ceremony in Tel Aviv January 16, author Haggai Linik joined a select group of literary luminaries when his third novel, “Darush Lahshan” (“Prompter Needed”) was awarded Israel’s Sapir Prize for Literature. Inaugurated in 2000, the Sapir Prize is Israel’s most prestigious literary prize. Awarded by Mifal HaPayis — the National Lottery — the Sapir Prize has previously been given to authors such as Ron Leshem, Gail Haraven, Sara Shilo and David Grossman.