David Grossman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Grossman
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| Native name |
דויד גרוסמן
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| Born | January 25, 1954 Jerusalem, Israel |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Citizenship | Israeli |
| Alma mater | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Notable awards |
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| Spouse | Michal Grossman |
| Children | 3 |
David Grossman (Hebrew: דויד גרוסמן; born January 25, 1954) is a famous Israeli writer. He writes books for both adults and children. His stories have been translated into more than 30 different languages, meaning people all over the world can read them. In 2018, he received the Israel Prize for literature, which is one of the highest honors for writers in Israel.
Contents
About David Grossman
Early Life and Family
David Grossman was born in Jerusalem, Israel. He is the older of two brothers. His mother, Michaella, was born in the area that is now Israel. His father, Yitzhak, moved to Israel from Poland when he was nine years old. David's father was a bus driver and later a librarian. He often brought books home for David to read, including stories by Sholem Aleichem. When David was just 9 years old, he won a national competition about Sholem Aleichem's stories!
David also worked as a child actor for the national radio. He continued working for the Israel Broadcasting Authority for almost 25 years. In 1971, he served in the Israeli army. He was in the army during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, but he did not see any fighting. David studied philosophy and theater at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Today, David Grossman lives in Mevasseret Zion, near Jerusalem. He is married to Michal Grossman, who is a child psychologist. They have three children: Yonatan, Ruthi, and Uri. Sadly, Uri, who was serving in the army, passed away during the 2006 Lebanon War. This difficult experience later inspired David's book Falling Out of Time.
Working in Radio
After finishing university, David Grossman became a news anchor for Kol Yisrael, Israel's national radio service. In 1988, he was fired because he refused to hide important news. This news was about the Palestinian leadership declaring their own state and accepting Israel's right to exist.
His Books and Stories
David Grossman often writes about important topics. For example, his 2008 novel, To the End of the Land, talks about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Since then, he has also written a children's book, an opera for kids, and several poems. His 2014 book, Falling Out of Time, explores the deep sadness parents feel after losing a child.
In 2017, he won the Man Booker International Prize for his novel A Horse Walks Into a Bar. He shared this award with his translator, Jessica Cohen, who helps bring his Hebrew books to English readers.
Speaking Out for Peace
David Grossman is known for being a strong supporter of peace. He believes in finding peaceful solutions to problems, especially regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
At first, he supported Israel's actions during the 2006 Lebanon War, believing it was for self-defense. However, as the war continued, he and other famous authors, Amos Oz and A.B. Yehoshua, spoke out. They urged the government to agree to a ceasefire and work towards a peaceful solution.
Just two days later, David's 20-year-old son, Uri, who was a soldier, was killed in southern Lebanon. This happened shortly before the ceasefire began. David explained that even after his son's death, his belief in peace and his opposition to certain policies did not change. While he usually avoided writing directly about politics in his stories, his son's death led him to explore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more deeply in his 2008 book To The End of the Land.
Two months after Uri's death, David Grossman spoke to a large crowd of Israelis. He talked about the importance of leadership and reaching out to Palestinians for peace. He said, "Of course I am grieving, but my pain is greater than my anger. I am in pain for this country and for what you [the government] and your friends are doing to it."
He also shared that even though he is critical of some Israeli policies, he is still a strong part of Israeli society. He mentioned that he himself served in the army reserves. In 2010, David Grossman and his family joined protests against the growth of Israeli settlements. During one protest, he had a difficult encounter with police. When asked if the police knew he was a famous writer, he replied, "I don't know if they know me at all."
Awards and Honors
David Grossman has received many important awards for his writing. In 2015, he decided not to accept the Israel Prize for Literature at first. This was because the Prime Minister tried to remove some judges from the panel. However, he was later awarded the prize in 2018.
Here are some of the awards he has won:
- 1984: Prime Minister's Prize for Creative Work
- 1985: Bernstein Prize
- 1991: Nelly Sachs Prize
- 1993: Bernstein Prize
- 2001: Sapir Prize for Someone to Run With
- 2004: JQ Wingate Prize for Someone to Run With
- 2004: Italian prize Premio Flaiano
- 2004: Bialik Prize for literature
- 2007: Emet Prize
- 2007: Ischia International Journalism Award
- 2007: Honorary Doctor Degree from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
- 2008: Geschwister-Scholl-Preis
- 2010: Albatros Literaturpreis for To the End of the Land
- 2010: Peace Prize of the German Book Trade
- 2010: National Jewish Book Award for To the End of the Land
- 2011: JQ Wingate Prize for To the End of the Land
- 2015: St. Louis Literary Award
- 2017: Man Booker International Prize for A Horse Walks into a Bar
- 2018: Israel Prize
- 2021: Elected a Royal Society of Literature International Writer
- 2022: Winner of the Erasmus Prize
- 2024: Marion Dönhoff Prize for International Understanding and Reconciliation
- 2024: Heinrich Heine prize for promoting human rights
Books Translated into English
Here are some of David Grossman's books that you can read in English:
Fiction
- Duel (1982)
- The Smile of the Lamb (1983)
- See Under: Love (1986)
- The Book of Intimate Grammar (1991)
- The Zigzag Kid (1994) – This book won two prizes in Italy!
- Be My Knife (1998)
- Someone to Run With (2000)
- Her Body Knows: two novellas (2003)
- To the End of the Land (2008)
- Falling Out of Time (2014)
- A Horse Walks Into a Bar: A Novel (2017)
- More Than I Love My Life (2019)
Nonfiction
- The Yellow Wind (1987)
- Sleeping on a Wire: Conversations with Palestinians in Israel (1992)
- Death as a Way of Life: Israel Ten Years after Oslo (2003)
- Lion’s honey : the myth of Samson (2005)
- Writing in the Dark: Essays on Literature and Politics (2008)
- The Thinking Heart: Essays on Israel and Palestine (2024)
Films Based on His Books
Several of David Grossman's novels have been made into movies:
- The Smile of the Lamb, a film based on his novel of the same name.
- Someone to Run With, a movie based on his novel.
- The Book of Intimate Grammar was also made into an award-winning film.
- The Zigzag Kid, a film based on his novel.
See also
In Spanish: David Grossman para niños
- Israeli literature
