Etgar Keret

Etgar Keret is recognized as a distinctive voice in contemporary world literature. Raised by Holocaust survivors, Keret is known for his short stories, graphic novels, and work in film and television. His stories, often surreal and concise, address themes of brutality and dehumanization while engaging readers with humor and warmth. Keret's books have been published in more than 48 languages, and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, Le Monde, The New Yorker, The Guardian, The Paris Review, and Zoetrope.

After publishing his first collection during his service in the Israel Defense Forces, Keret released five short story collections, one memoir, four graphic novels, and five children's books. Notable collections include "The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God and Other Stories," "Suddenly, a Knock on the Door," and "Fly Already," as well as the memoir "The Seven Good Years." His short stories are frequently featured on the National Public Radio program This American Life, which has presented readings of eight of his works.

Keret's creative work extends into filmmaking, where he has written several feature screenplays, including "Skin Deep," which received First Prize at international film festivals and was awarded the Israeli Oscar. As a director, Keret's film "Jellyfish" won the Caméra d'Or prize for best first feature at the Cannes Film Festival. He also wrote and co-produced "$9.99," a stop-motion animated feature directed by Tatia Rosenthal, and co-wrote and directed "The Middleman," a French mini-series for ARTE that received the best screenplay award at Festival de la Fiction in La Rochelle.

Keret's work in literature and film has earned him multiple honors, including the Book Publishers Association's Platinum Prize, the Jewish Quarterly Wingate Prize, and the Charles Bronfman Prize. His collection published in English as "Fly Already" received the Sapir Prize in Literature, and he was noted for selecting Yiddish as the language for the prize's paid translation, marking the first time an author chose that language in the prize's history. In France, Keret was decorated as Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

In addition to his writing and filmmaking, Keret teaches creative writing at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He founded the nonprofit StoryVid, which combines books and cinema to promote literature among younger generations. Keret also publishes the weekly newsletter "Alphabet Soup" on Substack. More than 100 short films and several feature films have been based on his stories, reflecting the enduring influence of his work in international literature and film.