Yaniv Iczkovits

Yaniv Iczkovits (Hebrew: יניב איצקוביץ' born May 2, 1975) is an Israeli writer known for his novels, essays and philosophical work. His 2015 fantasy-historical adventure novel The Slaughterman's Daughter, with an unlikely assortment of Jewish characters on a quest in late 19th century Czarist Russia, has been translated into several European languages and gained critical acclaim.

Yaniv Iczkovits
Native name
יניב איצקוביץ'
Born (1975-05-02) May 2, 1975
Beer-Sheba, Israel
OccupationWriter, university lecturer
LanguageHebrew
Alma mater
Genre
  • novels
  • essays
  • philosophy
Notable awards

Early life and education

Iczkovits was born in Beersheba and grew up in Rishon Lezion. His grandparents immigrated to Mandatory Palestine after the Holocaust, from Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Romania. One grandfather was a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp.[1]

In 1993, he enlisted in the IDF, volunteered for the Maglan elite commando unit and served as an officer. As a team commander he took part in the fighting in southern Lebanon. Upon his discharge from the IDF with the rank of lieutenant, he traveled to the Far East.[2] He enrolled in the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students at Tel Aviv University for his undergraduate studies, and during his master's degree he spent a year as a Chevening fellow at Oxford University.[3] His doctoral dissertation dealt with Ludwig Wittgenstein's thought and analyzed the interplay between ethics and language.[4]

Academic career

He taught for eight years at the University of Tel Aviv's Philosophy Department. After receiving his PhD, he went on to pursue postdoctoral research at Columbia University in New York City,[5] where he adapted his doctoral dissertation into the book Wittgenstein's Ethical Thought.[6]

For the academic year 2021/2022, Iczkovits was appointed to serve as artist in residence at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a position previously held by poet Agi Mishol and playwright Joshua Sobol.[3]

Views and positions

In 2002, after a stint of reservist service in Gaza during the Second Intifada, Iczkovits, together with social activist David Zonsheine, initiated the "Combatants' Letter," in which they declared their refusal to serve in the territories of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. An initial 51 soldiers and officers signed the letter, which was published as an advertisement in the mass-circulation daily newspaper Haaretz. This launched the movement known as Ometz LeSarev (Hebrew: "Courage to refuse"). Some six hundred Israeli soldiers affirmed their refusal to serve in the occupied territories. Iczkovits spent a month in military prison for refusing to go on additional reserve service in the territories.[7]

Personal life

Iczkovits lives with his wife and three daughters in Tel Aviv.[5]

Awards and nominations

Awards

Shortlisted

Reviewers' notable mention for The Slaughterman's Daughter

The Slaughterman's Daughter reviewed by the major press

Publications

Nonfiction
  • Wittgenstein's Ethical Thought (Based on his doctoral dissertation), London, Palgrave Macmillan,ISBN 978-1-137-02636-1; 2012 .
  • Convicts and Heroes: Wittgensteinian Afterthoughts on Uri Barabash's 'In Clean Conscience' and 'Double Alpha'. Article published by The Free Library, 2017[21]

Fiction
  • Dofeq (Pulse), Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing, 2007, Danacode 310004255[22]
    • in Italian: Batticuore, 2010, Giuntina, ISBN 8880573616; translated by Antonio Di Gesù[23]
  • Adam and Sophie, Hakibbutz Hameuchad – Siman Kriya, 2009, Danacode 310004656[24]
  • Dinei Yerusha (Laws of Inheritance, novella), Achuzat Bayit Publishing, 2010, ISBN 9657340594
  • Tikkun Ahar Hatzot (An After Midnight Prayer), Keter Publishing, 2015, ISBN 9789650723729
    • in Italian: Tikkun o la vendetta di Mende Speismann per mano della sorella Fanny, 2018, Neri Pozza Editore, ISBN 8854515965; translated by Ofra Bannet and Raffaella Scardi[25]
    • in Dutch: De Slachtersdochter, 2019, De Geus, ISBN 9044539329; translated by Hilde Pach[25]
    • in English (U.K. edition): The Slaughterman's Daughter: The Avenging of Mende Speissman by the Hand of her Sister Fanny, 2020, MacLehose Press, ISBN 0857058274; translated by Orr Scharf[25]
    • in English (U.S. edition): The Slaughterman's Daughter: A novel, Feb. 23, 2021, Schocken Books, ISBN 9780805243659; translated by Orr Scharf[26]
    • in Polish: Córka rzeźnika, October 2021, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, ISBN 0857058274; translated by Anna Halbersztat[25]
  • Af Echad Lo Ozev et Palo Alto (Nobody Leaves Palo Alto), Keter Publishing, 2020, Danacode 10-279193[27]

References
  1. "Webinar interview with author Yaniv Iczkovits". Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University Book Club. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  2. Karpel, Dalia (2007-05-09). "יניב איצקוביץ' רצה להיות כמו כולם" [Yaniv Iczkovits Wanted to be Like Everybody Else] (in Hebrew). Haaretz online. Retrieved 2011-07-09.
  3. "Yaniv Iczkovits, author, Artist in Residence for 2021/2022". Israel Institute for Advanced Studies. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  4. "Yaniv Iczkovits". The Institute for Translation of Hebrew Literature (www.ithl.org.il). Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  5. "A conversation with author Yaniv Iczkovits". Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University Book Club. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  6. Yaniv Iczkovits (2012). Wittgenstein's Ethical Thought. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-02635-4. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  7. ""Officers letter"". Haaretz. Retrieved 31 January 2002.
  8. Lev-Ari, Shiri (8 January 2008). "Itzkovich's 'Pulse' Wins Haaretz First Book Prize". Haaretz.
  9. Sela, Maya (1 December 2010). "בין 14 זוכי פרס ראש הממשלה ויזלטיר, קסטל בלום, פוצ'ו וגברון" [Among the 14 laureates of the Prime Minister's Prize: Wieseltier, Castel-Bloom, Puchu, and Gavron] (in Hebrew). Haaretz. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  10. Izikovitz, Gili (2016-01-18). "קרן 'עם הספר' תתרגם 17 ספרים ישראליים לשפו זרות" [The 'People of the Book' Fund will translate 17 Israeli books into foreign languages] (in Hebrew). haaretz online. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  11. "Yaniv Iczkovits". Penguin Random House Audio Publishing. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  12. "Agnon Prize for the year 5777" (in Hebrew). Agnon House, Jerusalem. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  13. "Yaniv Iczkovits wins 2021 Wingate Prize". The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  14. "Sapir Prize shortlist nominee" (in Hebrew). 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  15. "Our books of the year". The Economist. December 3, 2020.
  16. "The Times and The Sunday Times Best Books of 2020 | Books in the Media". The Times and The Sunday Times – via booksinthemedia.thebookseller.com.
  17. "10 Fiction Books To Look for in 2021". Kirkus Reviews.
  18. "The Slaughterman's Daughter". Publishers Weekly.
  19. Sacks, Sam (19 February 2021). "In Memory of Memory". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  20. Azoulay, Shay K. (23 February 2021). "Chasing Down a Deadbeat Dad, With a Knife Strapped to Her Leg". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  21. Iczkovits, Yaniv (1 January 2017). "Convicts and Heroes: Wittgensteinian Afterthoughts on Uri Barabash's 'In Clean Conscience' and 'Double Alpha'". Post Script – via The Free Library.
  22. Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing catalog. "Pulse". Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  23. "Editions of דופק by Yaniv Iczkovits". Goodreads. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  24. Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing catalog. "Adam and Sophie". Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  25. "Foreign language editions of The Slaughterman's Daughter by Yaniv Iczkovits". Goodreads. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  26. "The Slaughterman's Daughter: A novel". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  27. Keter Publishing catalog. "Af Echad Lo Ozev et Palo Alto". Retrieved 3 February 2021.
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