Shulamit Lapid facts for kids

Shulamit Lapid (born November 9, 1934) is a well-known Israeli writer. She writes many different kinds of books, including exciting detective stories, historical novels, and plays for the theater. She is famous for creating the character Lizzy Badihi, a journalist who solves mysteries.

About Shulamit Lapid

Shulamit Lapid was born in Tel Aviv. She studied Oriental studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her father, David Giladi, was a journalist and writer. He also helped start the Israeli newspaper Maariv.

In one of her books, Veulai Lo Hayu, Shulamit Lapid wrote about her father's journey to Israel. She also shared stories about her own childhood in Tel Aviv during the 1930s and 1940s. Shulamit Lapid was married to Yosef Lapid, who was a journalist and a politician. They had three children together. Their son, Yair, is also a famous Israeli politician, writer, and TV personality. He even served as the Prime Minister of Israel.

Her Writing Career

Shulamit Lapid's first collection of stories, called Dagim (which means "Fish"), was published in 1969. She writes different types of books. Some are historical novels, which are stories set in the past. Others are realistic stories that talk about social issues. She is also very popular for her detective novels.

Her book Gai Oni (published in 1982) tells the story of a village in the Galilee region that later became Rosh Pina. Shulamit Lapid was one of the first Hebrew writers to explore the important roles women played in the early history of Israel, known as the Zionist narrative. Another novel, Ka-Ḥeres ha-Nishbar (1984), is about an antiquities dealer named Moses Wilhelm Shapira.

Havat Haalamot (which means "The Maidens' Farm") continues the story from Gai Oni. It follows the characters during the second Aliyah, a time when many Jewish people moved to Israel. This book shows a project where women were trained in farming at the Kinneret Farm near the Sea of Galilee.

Shulamit Lapid has also written several books for children. She even wrote the words for a song called "Rosa Marzipan."

Lizzy Badihi Mysteries

Shulamit Lapid's spy and mystery books are very popular in Israel. She created a character named Lizzy Badihi, who appears in six of her thriller novels. Lizzy Badihi is a journalist for a local newspaper in Beersheba. In each book, she bravely decides to solve a detective mystery, even when no one asks her to. The first book in this series, "Mekomon" (published in 1989), helped make detective stories very popular in Israel. Lizzy Badihi is known for solving cases while being a bit clumsy but always determined.

Plays by Shulamit Lapid

Shulamit Lapid has also written several plays for the theater. Some of her plays include HaYerusha (The Inheritance), Abandoned Property, Mifal Hayav (His Life Work), and A Surrogate's Womb.

She also served as the chairperson of the Hebrew Writers' Association.

Awards and Recognition

Shulamit Lapid has received many awards for her writing.

• In 1987, she won the Prime Minister's Prize for Literature.
• In 1996, she won the Newman Prize.
• In 2013, she received a Steimatzky Prize for her book Abandoned Furniture.
• She also won Gold and Platinum Prizes from the Book Publishers Association for her book Nunia.

Her Books

Children's Books

Novels

Stories

Lizzy Badihi Series

Plays

• Abandoned Property was performed at the Cameri Theater in 1987 and at Habima Theater in 2006.
• A Surrogate's Womb was staged at the Cameri Theater in 1990.
• Mifal Hayav was performed at the Cameri Theater in 1992.
• Haflagot was staged at the Cameri Theater in 1997.

See also

• Women of Israel
• Literature of Israel