Etgar Keret

Tel Aviv native Etgar Keret, one of the most popular writers among Israeli youth today, started writing in 1992 at the age of 25. He has since published four books of short stories, one novella, three books of comics and a children's book, which have received international acclaim and been translated into 20 languages, including Korean and Chinese. His book Missing Kissinger has been listed among the 50 most important Israeli books of all time. In France, Kneller's Happy Campers was one of Fnac's 200 books of the decade, and the story The Nimrod Flip-Out was published in Francis Ford Coppola's magazine, Zoetrope (2004). This book was also chosen as one of the top 25 "favorite fiction and poetry" books of 2006 by the Los Angeles Times.

Keret's stories have also been the source of inspiration for over 40 short films, one of which won the American MTV Prize in 1998. Wristcutters, A Love Story - a feature film based on his novella and starring Tom Waits - participated in the Sundance Film Festival (2006) and has been nominated for two Free Spirit Awards. His movie, Skin Deep, won First Prize at several international film festivals and was awarded the Israeli Oscar. A number of Keret's stories have also been adapted for the stage in Israel and abroad.

In 2007, Keret along with his wife and co-director, Shira Gefen, won the important Camera d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival, for their first movie Meduzot (Jellyfish). The directing duo also won the SACD prize in the festival's International Critics Week section, and TV5MONDE’s "Young Critics" award for best film. So far, the film has been sold to ten countries, including the US, France, Germany and Italy.

Most recently, Etgar's book Missing Kissinger has been shortlisted for the prestigious Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.

More on Etgar Keret:
http://www.wristcutters.com/

http://www.all-story.com/issues.cgi?action=show_story&story_id=229

http://etgarkeret.com/

Alona Kimhi: Born in Lvov, Ukraine, Kimhi came to Israel with her family in 1972. Following her graduation from the Beit Zvi Academy for Performing Arts, Kimhi became a stage and film actress and in 1993 started writing plays, lyrics and essays. Since 1996, she has published two novels, a collection of short stories and a book for children. Kimhi has been awarded the ACUM Book of the Year Prize (1996) for I, Anastasia; the Bernstein Prize (1999) for her first novel, Weeping Susannah, the French WIZO Prize (2001) and the Prime Minister`s Prize (2001). In 2004, a film based on a script of hers received the Israel Academy`s Best TV Film Award. Her books have been published in 11 languages.

Israeli critics acclaimed her work: one called it a kind of "linguistic laboratory" and another described the language as "fluent, vulgar and sometimes manic". "Each of the stories astounds in its own particular way," wrote the reviewer in Iton Tel Aviv, "exposing another kind of unhappiness or misery, yet all have a quality of acute, venomous humour and superb verbal brutality."

Yehudit Rotem: Mother of seven who left the ultra orthodox community, Yehudit Rotem has written four best sellers. Her last book Craving was recently published. She participated in several anthologies and is considered a unique and popular lecturer, performing before different audiences in companies and organizations.