Adgar Keret Israeli writer, director Country: Israel

Biography of Etgar Keret

Etgar Keret, an Israeli writer and director, was born in Tel Aviv in 1967. He is known as the most popular writer among contemporary Israeli youth. Keret began writing in 1992 and has since published three books of short stories, one novel, three comic books, and a children's book. His works have gained international recognition and have been translated into 16 languages.

Keret has been teaching at the Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Film and Television and the Ben-Gurion University's Faculty of Hebrew Literature since 1995. His books have become bestsellers in Israel and have received critical acclaim worldwide. His book "Missing Kissinger" was included in the list of the 50 most significant Israeli books of all time. "Kneller's Happy Campers" was included in the Fnac list of the 200 best works of the decade. "Nimrod Flip-Out" was published in Francis Ford Coppola's magazine, Zoetrope, in 2004.

Several plays based on Keret's stories have been performed in Israel and abroad. In 2007, he made his directorial debut with the film "Skin Deep" (Meduzot), which received the Israeli Oscar and several international awards, including the Golden Camera at the Cannes Film Festival.

The protagonists of Keret's short stories, which range from soldiers and ant trainers to high jump champions and hairdressers, live simultaneously in two worlds: the real and the phantasmagorical. Their existence is both mundane and absurd, evoking both disgust and compassion. The tragic and sometimes comedic nature of his prose, along with its undeniable originality, has brought Keret global fame and recognition.