Yoram Kaniuk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yoram Kaniuk
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| Born | May 2, 1930 Tel Aviv, Israel
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| Died | June 8, 2013 (aged 83) Tel Aviv, Israel
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| Occupation | Writer, painter, journalist, theatre critic |
| Years active | 1963-2013 |
| Spouse(s) |
Miranda Baker
(m. 1958) |
| Children | 2 |
Yoram Kaniuk (Hebrew: יורם קניוק; May 2, 1930 – June 8, 2013) was an Israeli writer, painter, journalist, and theatre critic. He wrote many books that have been translated into 25 different languages. He was known for his unique writing style and humor.
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About Yoram Kaniuk
Yoram Kaniuk was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. His father, Moshe Kaniuk, was the first person to manage the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. His mother was also a teacher. Her family moved to Palestine in 1909, the same year Tel Aviv was founded.
When he was 17, Yoram joined the Palmach, which was a defense group in Israel. In 1948, during the War of Independence, he was shot in the legs. He received treatment at a hospital in New York.
In 1958, while living in the USA, Kaniuk married Miranda Baker. They later moved back to Israel. They had two daughters named Aya and Naomi.
Yoram Kaniuk passed away from cancer on June 8, 2013, at 83 years old. After his death, his body was donated to science to help with medical research.
Changing His Official Status
In 2011, Yoram Kaniuk asked the Israeli government to change his official religious status. He wanted it to say "religiously unclassified" instead of "Jewish." He made this request because his grandson was registered as "unclassified." This was due to his grandson not being considered Jewish under the traditional rules used in Israeli law.
In October 2011, a judge in Tel Aviv approved his request. This meant his Jewish classification was removed from the government's records. Many other Israelis also wanted to do the same thing. A new Hebrew word, lehitkaniuk, was even created. It means "to Kaniuk oneself," referring to this process.
Yoram Kaniuk's Writing Career
Yoram Kaniuk was a very productive writer. He published 17 novels, a memoir, and seven collections of short stories. He also wrote two books of essays and five books for children and young people. His books have been published in 25 languages around the world. He won many literary awards for his work.
In March 2006, a special meeting was held at Cambridge University. This meeting was dedicated to studying Yoram Kaniuk's books and writings.
His Unique Writing Style
Kaniuk's writing often explored deep topics like death and identity. His work was sometimes called "existential writing." This means it looked at the meaning of life and human existence. His stories were often hard to put into a simple category.
He was known for using dark and sometimes strange humor in his books. Writers like Anthony Burgess and Kurt Vonnegut influenced his style. For a long time, many people in Israel did not fully accept his writing. However, in the 21st century, many young readers found his different way of looking at Israeli society to be very interesting and new.
Awards and Recognitions
Yoram Kaniuk received many important awards for his literary achievements. Some of these include:
- In 1980, the Ze`ev Prize for Children's literature.
- In 1997, the Prix des Droits de l'Homme (France).
- In 1998, the President's Prize.
- In 1999, the Bialik Prize for literature. He shared this award with Aharon Almog and Nurit Zarchi.
- In 2000, the Prix Mediterranee Etranger for his book Commander of the Exodus.
- In 2005, the Book Publishers Association's Gold Book Prize.
- In 2006, the Newman Prize.
- In 2011, the Sapir Prize for Literature for his book 1948.
List of Published Works
Here are some of the books Yoram Kaniuk published:
- The Acrophile (1960)
- Himmo, King of Jerusalem (1968)
- Adam Resurrected (novel, 1971)
- Rockinghorse (1977)
- The Story of Aunt Shlomzion the Great (1978)
- Confessions of a Good Arab: a Novel (1984)
- His Daughter (1987)
- Tigerhill (1995)
- Commander of the Exodus (1999)
- The House Where Cockroaches Live to a Ripe Old Age (2001)
- The Last Jew (novel, 2006)
- Eagles (novella)
- Villany (novella)
- Between Life and Death (novel)
- 1948 (autobiographic novel)
See also
In Spanish: Yoram Kaniuk para niños
