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Amir Gutfreund

アミール・グトフレウンド

Amir Gutfreund

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1963-07-23 （Haifa, Israel）
Died
2015-11-27 （Haifa, Israel） age 52
Nationality
Israeli
Languages
Hebrew
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
Haifa (birthplace and residence)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Columnist
Active Years
1990-2015

Awards

Buchman Prize
2001
Work: Our Holocaust
Organization: Unknown (Hebrew sources)
Result: 受賞
Sapir Prize
2003
Work: Ahuzot HaHof (The Shoreline Mansions)
Organization: Sapir Prize committee
Result: 受賞
Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize
2009
Work: The World a Moment Later
Organization: Jewish Quarterly-Wingate
Result: 受賞
Ramat Gan Prize for Literature
2015
Work: The Legend of Bruno and Adela
Organization: Ramat Gan Municipality
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Our Holocaust

2000 Novel

A novel centered on Holocaust memory and its ramifications, portraying family and generational effects and the transmission of memory in Israeli society.

Holocaust memoryfamily historyintergenerational relationships
Translations
  • Translated into English, German, French, Czech and Hungarian

Ahuzot HaHof (The Shoreline Mansions)

2002 Short story collection

A collection of short stories set by the shore, where everyday life intersects with memories of the past.

memorysense of placepersonal past

The World a Moment Later

2005 Novel

A novel weaving contemporary Israeli relationships with historical consciousness, blending humor and pathos.

memory and historypersonal identity

When Heroes Fly

2008 Novel

A story about former soldiers bearing the scars of war, focusing on friendship, trauma, and redemption.

effects of warfriendshiptrauma
Adaptations
  • [TV series] When Heroes Fly (2018)
  • [Film (inspired by)] The Matchmaker (film inspired by the novel) (2010)

Crow

2013 Novel

A work with a metaphorical title; sources indicate use of symbolic imagery and themes.

symbolismpersonal memory

The Legend of Bruno and Adela

2014 Tale / Fiction

A tale with allegorical elements; winner of the 2015 Ramat Gan Prize for Literature.

allegoryhuman relationships

Mount of Happiness / Mount of Beatitudes

2016 Novel (unfinished)

A posthumous unfinished novel containing ideas and a structure left incomplete at the author's death.

unfinished narrativememory and place

Bibliography

  • Our Holocaust (2000)
  • Ahuzot HaHof (The Shoreline Mansions, 2002)
  • The World, a Little Later (2005)
  • When Heroes Fly (2008)
  • Crow (2013)
  • The Legend of Bruno and Adela (2014)
  • Mount of Happiness (unfinished, 2016)

Adaptations

  • TV series 'When Heroes Fly' (2018)
  • English-language series 'Echo 3' (derived from the Israeli series)
  • Film 'The Matchmaker' / 'Once Upon a Time I Was' (2010, inspired by the novel)

Translations of Works

  • Our Holocaust was translated into German, English, French, Czech and Hungarian

Style & Themes

Literary Style
realist depictionnarration focused on family history and memoryblend of humor and pathos
Recurring Motifs
Holocaust memoryintergenerational effectswar and traumaplace and identity

Legacy

Amir Gutfreund became an important voice in Israeli literature for works addressing Holocaust memory and intergenerational narratives. Several works were adapted for screen and received international attention.

In Popular Culture

  • The TV series 'When Heroes Fly', based on the novel, won awards at Canneseries and drew international attention.

Trivia

  • His works have been translated into multiple languages including English and German.
  • The novel 'When Heroes Fly' was adapted into a TV series that won international awards.
  • He received the Ramat Gan Prize for Literature in 2015 (for a posthumously published work).