Rivka Keren facts for kids

Keren in 2008

Rivka Keren is an Israeli writer. She was born in Hungary in 1946. She writes in Hebrew.

About Rivka Keren

Rivka Keren was born as Katalin Friedländer in Debrecen, Hungary. She moved to Israel with her family in 1957. She started writing when she was a child. First, she wrote in Hungarian, then in Hebrew.

She studied painting in Jerusalem and New York City. She also studied philosophy, literature, and psychology at Bar Ilan University. She earned her master's degree in clinical psychology from Tel Aviv University.

Rivka Keren has worked as a librarian, an art therapist, and a clinical psychologist. Her paintings have been shown in many countries. She has written many books for children and teenagers. She has also written novels and short stories. Some of her books have been translated into German, English, Spanish, Russian, and Hungarian. Some were even made into Braille for people who are blind.

She is a member of several writing organizations. Rivka Keren is married and has two children.

Her Books and Stories

Rivka Keren has published many books. Her stories often explore big ideas like destiny, memory, and what makes us who we are (our identity). She also writes about love, good and evil, and what it's like to be an immigrant.

Her writing style is deep and not always in a straight line. Her characters often explore feelings of good and bad, love and hate. They are always searching for where they belong, their roots, and the truth. These journeys can be difficult. Some of her novels talk about the Holocaust, a very sad time in history. These books became very popular.

As someone whose parents survived the Holocaust, Rivka Keren writes about the challenges immigrants face. She shows their pain and feeling of being different. But she also writes about how they find their place and succeed. Her novels help us understand human nature. They show the power of hope and love.

Books by Rivka Keren

• Outrage, a novel, 2010.
• Mortal Love, a novel, 2008.
• Tita and the Satan, a novel, 1995.
• Anatomy of a Revenge, a novel, 1993.
• Mortal Love (Ahava Anusha), a novel, 1992.
• The Taste of Honey, a novel, 1990.
• Sad Summer, Happy Summer, a novel for teenagers, 1986.
• The Story of the Patriarchs, 4 books and audio for young children, 1982.
• Nufar, the Story of a Seagull, a children's book, 1981.
• The Journey of the Dwarfs Tik and Tak, a small children's book, 1980.
• Wild Lili, a diary in letters for teenagers, 1978.
• Kati, a Young Girl's Diary, a novel for teenagers, 1973.
• Ruthi Shmuti, a novel and short stories for teenagers, 1970.

Books Translated into Other Languages

Many of Rivka Keren's books have been translated. This means people in other countries can read her stories.

• Katalin – Ungarisches Tagebuch (Hungarian Diary), translated into German, 1996.
• Bittersüßer Sommer (Bittersweet Summer), translated into German, 1999.
• Anatomie einer Rache (Anatomy of a Revenge), translated into German, 2001.
• Der Geschmack von Honig (The Taste of Honey), translated into German, 2004.
• Mortal Love, translated into English, 2009.

Translated Short Stories

Some of Rivka Keren's short stories have also been translated and included in collections.

• "Aisha", translated into English, 2009.
• "Kiribiri", translated into English, 2009.
• "Islamorada", translated into English, 2010.
• "They Set Sail in the Springtime", an excerpt from Mortal Love, translated into English, 2010.
• "1939", a poem translated into English, 2009.
• "Zipora", an excerpt from Mortal Love, translated into English, 2013.

Awards for Her Writing

Rivka Keren has won many awards for her books.

• 2000 – The Austrian Government Honorable Award for Youth & Children Literature, Austria
• 1995 – Kugel Prize [he] for literature, Israel
• 1986 – Zeev Award for Children Literature, Israel
• 1976 – Ramat-Gan Award for Literature, Israel
• 1975 – Lamdan Prize for Children and Youth Literature, Israel
• 1974 – Nordau Award for Literature, Israel
• 1972 – Keren Hayesod Award for Literature, Israel
• 1970 – Honorable Mention of the jury of the Yatziv Literary Award, Israel

See also

In Spanish: Rivka Keren para niños

• Mortal Love (novel)