David Grossman

(1954 - )

David Grossman was born in Jerusalem and studied philosophy and theater at the Hebrew University. He began a 25-year career at Israel Radio at the age of 10 as a correspondent for youth broadcasts.

Grossman's prose is intricate, structurally complex and noted for its daring and innovative technique. Injustice as a human phenomenon is a central theme, whether it is a socio-political condition or psychological obsession.

Internationally acclaimed as a superb author, David Grossman expresses the courage, pain and occasionally brutal truth of Israeli reality with a strength and honesty rarely equaled.

Books Published in Hebrew
Jogger (stories), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1983 [Ratz]
Smile of the Lamb (novel), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1983 [Hiuch Ha-Gedi]
See Under: Love (novel), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1986 [Ayien Erech: Ahavah]
Yellow Wind (non-fiction), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1987 [Ha-Zeman Ha-Tzahov]
Riki's Playgroup (play), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1988 [Gan Riki]
The Book of Internal Grammar (novel), Hakibbutz Hameuchad/Siman Kriah, 1991 [Sefer Ha-Dikduk Ha-Pnimi]
Sleeping on a Wire (non-fiction), Hakibbutz Hameuchad/Siman Kriah, 1992 [Nochahim Nifkadim]
The Zig-Zag Kid (novel), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1994 [Yesh Yeladim Zig-Zag]
You Shall Be My Knife (novel), Hakibbutz Hameuchad/Siman Kriah, 1998 [She-Tihi Li Ha-Sakin]

Children and Young Readers
Duel (youth), Massada, 1982 [Du-Krav]
A Brand New Brother, Am Oved, 1986 [Ah Hadash Legamri]
Itamar Walks on Walls , Am Oved, 1986 [Itamar Metayel Al Ha-Kirot]
Itamar and the Magic Black Hat, Am Oved, 1992 [Itamar Ve-Kova Ha-Ksamim Ha-Shahor]
The Itamar Letter , Am Oved, 1986 [Itamar Michtav]
Itamar Meets a Rabbit , Am Oved, 1988 [Itamar Pogesh Arnav]
Itamar the Dream Hunter , Am Oved, 1990 [Itamar Tzayad Halomot]
Uri's Special Language (children), Massada, 1990 [Ha-Safah Ha-Miuhedet Shel Uri]
Fozz's Book of Poems , Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1994 [Sefer Ha-Siim Shel Fozz]
Once Upon a Time You Were Two Monkeys , Am Oved, 1996 [Hayo Haytem Shnei Kofim ]
Someone to Run With, Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 2000 [Misheu Larutz Ito]

Books in Translation
The Jogger
Italian:
Milan, Mondadori, 1994

The Yellow Wind
Arabic:
Kfar Kara, Dar al-Shafaq, 1988
Danish:
Copenhagen, Gyldendal, 1988
Dutch:
Utrecht, Veen, 1988
English:
New York, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1988 /New York, Dell,1989
French:
Paris, Seuil, 1988
German:
Munich, Kindler, 1988
Italian:
Milan, Mondadori, 1988
Japanese:
Tokyo, Shobun-Sha, 1990
Norwegian:
Oslo, Gyldendal, 1988
Portuguese:
Lisbon, Dom Quixote, 1989
Serbo-Croatian:
Vrsac, Knjizevna Opstina Vrsac, 1994
Spanish:
Madrid, Ediciones El Pais, 1988
Swedish:
Stockholm, Bonnier, 1988
Turkish:
Istanbul Cep Kitaplari, 1992

The Zig-Zag Kid
Dutch:
Baarn, Ambo, 1996
English:
New York, Farrar Straus Giroux, 1997 / London, Bloomsbury, 1997
French:
Paris, Seuil, 1998
German:
Munich, Hanser, 1996
Greek:
Athens, Kastanitois, 1999
Italian:
Milan, Mondadori, 1996
Portuguese:
Rio de Janeiro, Nova Fronteira, 1999
Romanian:
Bucharest, Univers, forthcoming
Spanish:
Barcelona, Tusquets, 1998
Swedish:
Stockholm, Bonnier Alba, 1996

See under: Love
Czech:
Prague, Mlada Fronta, 1996
Danish:
Copenagen, Gyldendal, 1993
Dutch:
Utrecht, Veen, 1990
Amsterdam, Pandora, 1994
English:
New York, Farrar Straus Giroux, 1989
London, Jonathan Cape, 1989
Paperback:New York, Washington Square Press,1990
London, Pan Books, 1991
Paperback: New York, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1997
Paperback: New York, Vintage, 1999
French:
Paris, Seuil, 1991
Paperback: Paris, Seuil, 1991
German:
Munich, Carl Hanser, 1991
Munich, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, 1994
Italian:
Milan, Mondadori, 1988
Norwegian:
Oslo, Gyldendal Norsk, 1988
Spanish:
Barcelona, Tusquets, 1993
Swedish:
Stockholm, Brombergs, 1989
Portuguese:
Rio de Janeiro, Nova Fronteira, 1993
Serbo-Croatian:
Belgrade, Nolit, 1999

The Smile of the Lamb
Arabic:
Jerusalem, Palestinian Authors Union, 1996
Dutch:
Amsterdam, Contact,1994
English:
New York, Farrar Straus Giroux, 1990
New York, Washington Square Press, 1990
London, Jonathan Cape, 1991
London, Picador, 1992
French:
Paris, Seuil, 1995
German:
Munich, Hanser, 1988
Munich, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, 1990
Italian:
Milan, Mondadori, 1994
Portuguese:
Rio de Janeiro, Nova Fronteira, 1994
Spanish:
Barcelona, Tusquets, 1995
Swedish:
Stockholm, Brombergs, 1990

Riki's Kindergarden (play)
Italian:
Milan, Mondadori, 1990

The Book of Intimate Grammar
Dutch:
Amsterdam, Contact, 1993
English:
New York, Farrar Straus Giroux, 1994
London, Jonathan Cape, 1994
New York, Riverhead Books, 1995
London, Picador, 1995
Finnish:
Helsinki, Otava, 1994
French:
Paris, Seuil, 1994
German:
Munich, Carl Hanser, 1994
Italian:
Milano, Mondadori, 1992
Norwegian:
Oslo, Gyldendal Norsk, 1996
Swedish:
Stockholm, Bonnier Alba, 1995

Sleeping on a Wire: Conversations with Palestinians in Israel
Dutch:
Amsterdam, Contact, 1993
English:
New York, Farrar Straus Giroux, 1993 / London, Jonathan Cape, 1993
French:
Paris, Seuil, 1995
German:
Munich, Carl Hanser, 1992
Italian:
Milan, Mondadori, 1993
Japanese:
Tokyo, Shobun-Sha, 1997
Spanish:
Barcelona, Tusquets, 1994
Swedish:
Stockholm, Bonnier Alba, 1993

You Shall Be My Knife
Dutch:
Amsterdam, Ambo, 1999
English:
New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, forthcoming
London, Bloomsbury, forthcoming
French:
Paris, Seuil, forthcoming
German:
Munich, Hanser, 1999
Italian:
Milan, Mondadori, 1999

Once Upon a Time You Were Two Monkeys
Italian:
Milan, Mondadori, 1998
German:
Munich, Hanser, 1998

Duel
Dutch:
Amsterdam, Van Goor, 1992
German:
Hamburg, Carlsen, 1990 / Ravensburg, Ravensburger Buchverl, 1994
English:
London, Bloomsburg, 1998
Czech:
Prague, Albatros, fothcoming

Itamar Series
Italian:
Milan, Mondadori, 1991
German:
Hamburg, Carlsen, 1990, 1991, 1998 / Munich, Hanser, 1998
Dutch:
Amsterdam, Ten Have, 1998

Source: Copyright The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature. Reprinted by kind permission of The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature, Ramat Gan Israel. The Institute web site contains biographies of 300 Israeli authors. Photo by Erwin Schenkelbach.