Bialik Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 56 (1988) Winner
Nathan Shaham
ナタン・シャハム
Nathan Shaham
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1925-01-29 （Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine）
- Died
- 2018-06-18 （Beit Alfa, Israel） age 93
- Nationality
- Israeli
- Languages
- Hebrew
- Residence History
- Tel Aviv (birthplace) → Beit Alfa (1945–2018)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Novelist, Playwright, Editor, Cultural attaché
- Active Years
- 1945-2018
- Affiliations
- Sifriat Poalim (editor-in-chief), Beit Alfa Kibbutz, Israel Broadcasting Authority (former vice-chairman)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Bialik Prize | — | — | Tel Aviv Municipality / Bialik Prize committee | winner |
| 1992 | National Jewish Book Award (Fiction) | The Rosendorf Quartet | Fiction | Jewish Book Council | winner |
| 1993 | Newman Prize | — | — | — | winner |
| 2005 | ADAI‑WIZO Prize | The Rosendorf Quartet | — | ADAI‑WIZO (Italy) | winner |
| 2007 | Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works | — | — | Government of Israel | winner |
| 2012 | Israel Prize (Hebrew Literature and Poetry) | — | Hebrew Literature and Poetry | State of Israel | winner |
Bialik Prize
1988
Organization:
Tel Aviv Municipality / Bialik Prize committee
Result:
winner
National Jewish Book Award (Fiction)
1992
Work:
The Rosendorf Quartet
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Jewish Book Council
Result:
winner
Newman Prize
1993
Result:
winner
ADAI‑WIZO Prize
2005
Work:
The Rosendorf Quartet
Organization:
ADAI‑WIZO (Italy)
Result:
winner
Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works
2007
Organization:
Government of Israel
Result:
winner
Israel Prize (Hebrew Literature and Poetry)
2012
Category:
Hebrew Literature and Poetry
Organization:
State of Israel
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Rosendorf Quartet
1987 NovelA novel exploring generations, memory and the relations between individual lives and community; translated into English and internationally recognized.
memorygenerationscommunity
Translations
- English translation (Avalon Travel Publishing, 2000)
Grain and Lead
1948 NovelAn early novel depicting society and individuals around the time of Israel's founding.
founding periodsocial depiction
Bone to the Bone
1981 NovelA novel containing deep psychological depictions of an individual.
individualpsychology
The Heart of Tel Aviv
1996 NovelA work portraying life and people in the city of Tel Aviv.
urban lifecitizenship
Bibliography
- Grain and Lead (1948)
- The Gods Are Lazy (1949)
- They'll Arrive Tomorrow (play, 1949)
- Call Me Siomka (play, 1950)
- A Stone on the Well's Mouth (1956)
- Veterans' Housing (1958)
- The Wisdom of the Poor (1960)
- Citrus Scent (1962)
- The Rosendorf Quartet (1987)
- Sealed Book (1988)
- Tabula Rasa (2010)
Translations of Works
- The Rosendorf Quartet — English translation (Avalon Travel Publishing, 2000)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Vivid, realist narrative voiceFocus on intergenerational memory and community
- Recurring Motifs
- kibbutz and communitymemory and generationswar and the founding period
Legacy
Regarded as one of the outstanding authors of Israel's founding-generation; contributed to Israeli literature across plays, novels and nonfiction with a lively, rich style. Awarded the Israel Prize in 2012.
Archives
- National Library of Israel (holds related materials)
Quotes
-
The prize jury called Shaham one of the outstanding authors of Israel’s generation of founders and noted the “lively and rich” style of his plays, fiction and nonfiction works.
Source: Haaretz (on Israel Prize award, 2012) (2012)
Trivia
- Son of writer Eliezer Steinman.
- Resident of Beit Alfa kibbutz from 1945 to 2018.
- Served in the Palmach and participated in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
- Served as editor-in-chief of Sifriat Poalim publishing house.
- Was Israel's cultural attaché in the United States from 1977 to 1980.