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Amos Oz

アモス・オズ

Amos Oz

Aliases: Amos Klausner / עמוס עוז
Pen Names: Amos Oz（Surname adopted after joining the kibbutz; born Amos Klausner.）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1939-05-04 （Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine）
Died
2018-12-28 （Petah Tikva (Rabin Medical Center), Israel） age 79
Nationality
Israel
Languages
Hebrew, English
Religion
Atheist (described himself as 'an atheist of the book')
Residence History
Kerem Avraham (Jerusalem) → Kibbutz Hulda → Arad (Negev) → Tel Aviv

Career

Occupations
Writer, Novelist, Journalist, Academic, Professor of Hebrew literature
Active Years
1965-2018
Affiliations
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Influenced By
Sherwood Anderson, Joseph Klausner (family influence)
Influenced
Generations of contemporary Israeli writers, A. B. Yehoshua

Education

Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Faculty of Humanities / Philosophy and Hebrew literature
Degree: 学士
Period: 1959–1963
Year of Graduation: 1963
Country: Israel
After graduation he taught in the kibbutz high school while continuing to write.

Awards

Kugel Prize
1965
Organization: Municipality of Holon
Result: 受賞
Brenner Prize
1976
Organization: Brenner Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Bernstein Prize
1983
Work: A Perfect Peace
Category: オリジナル・ヘブライ語長編小説
Organization: Bernstein Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
1984
Organization: French Government
Result: 叙勲
Bialik Prize
1986
Category: 文学
Organization: Tel Aviv Municipality
Result: 受賞（共同受賞）
Prix Femina étranger
1988
Organization: Prix Femina Committee (France)
Result: 受賞
Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels
1992
Organization: German Book Trade Association
Result: 受賞
Legion of Honour
1997
Organization: French Government
Result: 叙勲
Israel Prize (Literature)
1998
Category: 文学
Organization: Government of Israel
Result: 受賞
Welt Literature Prize
2004
Organization: Die Welt (newspaper)
Result: 受賞
Ovid Prize
2004
Organization: City of Neptun (Romania)
Result: 受賞
Goethe Prize
2005
Category: 生涯業績
Organization: City of Frankfurt
Result: 受賞
Jerusalem-Agnon Prize
2006
Organization: Jerusalem-Agnon Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Corine Literature Prize
2006
Organization: Corine Prize Committee (Germany)
Result: 受賞
Prince of Asturias Award (Literature)
2007
Category: 文学
Organization: Prince of Asturias Foundation (Spain)
Result: 受賞
Dan David Prize (Past Category)
2008
Category: 過去の創造的表現
Organization: Dan David Foundation / Tel Aviv University
Result: 受賞（共同）
Heinrich Heine Prize
2008
Organization: City of Düsseldorf
Result: 受賞
Franz Kafka Prize
2013
Organization: Franz Kafka Society
Result: 受賞
Order of Civil Merit
2014
Organization: Government of Spain
Result: 叙勲
Siegfried Lenz Prize
2014
Organization: City of Hamburg
Result: 受賞
Internationaler Literaturpreis – HKW
2015
Work: Judas
Organization: Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Germany)
Result: 受賞
Honorary degree (University of Milan)
2015
Category: 言語・文化（名誉）
Organization: University of Milan
Result: 授与
Park Kyong-ni Prize
2015
Organization: Park Kyong-ni Prize Committee (South Korea)
Result: 受賞
Stig Dagerman Prize
2018
Work: Judas
Organization: Dagerman Foundation (Sweden)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

A Tale of Love and Darkness

2002 Memoir / Essay

A memoir recounting his childhood, family history and coming-of-age in Jerusalem, including his mother's suicide and the early years of the State of Israel.

FamilyMemoryNation and personal conflictLoss
Adaptations
  • [Film] A Tale of Love and Darkness (film) / Natalie Portman (2015)
Translations
  • Selection of the Chinese translation was included in an official Chinese textbook

My Michael

1968 Novel

An early novel about marriage and personal loneliness; it became a bestseller and helped establish his reputation.

MarriageLonelinessMemory

A Perfect Peace

1982 Novel

Set in a kibbutz, it examines ideals and contradictions, and the conflicts between the individual and the collective.

Kibbutz lifePolitical beliefsCollective vs individual

Judas

2014 Novel

A relatively short novel dealing with friendship, betrayal and clashes of conviction; it received international recognition.

BetrayalFriendshipConviction

Bibliography

  • Where the Jackals Howl (short stories, 1965)
  • Elsewhere, Perhaps (1966)
  • My Michael (1968)
  • A Perfect Peace (1982)
  • A Tale of Love and Darkness (2002)
  • Judas (2014)

Adaptations

  • A Tale of Love and Darkness – film directed by Natalie Portman (2015)

Translations by Author

Translations of Works

  • A Tale of Love and Darkness — Chinese translation selection included in an official Chinese textbook
  • Works translated into some 45 languages

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Realistic portrayalIronic toneMemoir-like proseEssayistic commentary
Recurring Motifs
FamilyLoss and memoryKibbutz life and tensionsIsraeli society and politics

Health

  • Cancer
    2018
    Died at Rabin Medical Center in late 2018

Legacy

Amos Oz was one of Israel's leading writers and public intellectuals; his works on family, memory and nation won international acclaim, and he was an outspoken advocate for peace, receiving numerous international awards.

Museums

  • Amos Oz Archive (Ben-Gurion University) Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Archives

  • Ben-Gurion University of the Negev — Amos Oz Archive

In Popular Culture

  • A Tale of Love and Darkness adapted into a film by Natalie Portman (2015)

Quotes

  • If I were to sum up my books in one word, I would say they are about 'families'. If you gave me two words, I would say 'unhappy families'.
    Source: Interview / article (cited) (2004)

Trivia

  • Authored over 40 books; works translated into some 45 languages.
  • Born Amos Klausner; adopted the surname Oz after joining the kibbutz.
  • Family moved to Arad (Negev) in 1986 seeking relief for his son's asthma.
  • Family controversy reported after a daughter accused him of abusive behavior in a memoir.