By the Book

Winter in Israel is the perfect time to discover the country’s vibrant literary scene. Even without a lick of Hebrew, there are a slew of literary offerings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, including popular bookstore cafes, bilingual readings, writers’ salons, radio programs and poetry slams. And don’t forget the country’s old-school used bookstores filled with English books - so you can rummage through the stacks in search of the perfect vacation read. Suzanne Selengut singles out a mix of not-to-miss activities for readers, writers and anyone who loves the written word

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the-little-prince-LIT UP-T
5 בינואר 2015
The Little Prince Cafe / Photo Courtesy of PR
The Little Prince Cafe / Photo Courtesy of PR

MEET YOUNG WRITERS AT THE LITTLE PRINCE CAFE

If you like reading and drinking tea in cozy surroundings, check out The Little Prince Café-Bookstore at its new location on King George Street, where it moved a year ago from Nachalat Binyamin Street. With eclectic couches and rows of used books lining the walls, it has the look of a student hangout, although it attracts book lovers of all ages. The store specializes in “serious” Hebrew and English literature but rumor has it there are a few thrillers and romances hidden along the lower shelves. The place has a definite hipster vibe and the owners plan to amp up their event schedule in the coming months with creative gatherings. Check out their Facebook page for the next reading by young local poets.

The Little Prince Cafe, 19 King George St, 03-5253632. See: Hanasich

The Bookworm / Photo Courtesy of PR
The Bookworm / Photo Courtesy of PR

HAVE DINNER AND A NOVEL AT THE BOOKWORM

The Bookworm Café-Bookstore, with two locations on Mazeh Street and Rabin Square, is synonymous with Tel Aviv literary chic. It has light food and a traditional-yet-funky café style, with lots of tables and perpetually working coffee machines. It’s not uncommon to see a world-famous Israeli writer launching his or her latest book there. The Rabin Square location is well-known for its psychotherapy section and often holds events in keeping with that theme. The larger Mazeh Street location, with a heated outdoor patio, holds a full roster of readings and film screenings that are open to the public and this winter it will present monthly screenings of documentaries about Israeli writers.

The Bookworm Café-Bookstore, 7 Mazeh St/9 Rabin Sq, Tel Aviv, 03-5298499. See: The Bookworm 

VISIT THE HOMES OF ISRAEL’S FIRST AUTHORS

Israelis revere the originators of modern Israeli literature. In fact, many streets in Israel are named after its finest writers.
including S. Y. Agnon, Haim Nachman Bialik, Leah Goldberg and Rachel Bluwstein. You can learn more about Agnon at his former home on Klausner Street in Talpiot, Jerusalem, which is now a museum in honor of the famed Nobel Prize-winning novelist and writer of short stories. Agnon lived there until his death in 1970, and it was here that he wrote many of his best known works: “A Simple Story,” “Only Yesterday,” “A Guest for the Night” and “Shira,” among others. You can tour the reconstructed home, see his most prized library and hear a recorded audio tour in English.

The colorful Bialik House, situated appropriately at 22 Bialik Street in Tel Aviv, is the place to go to learn more about Israel’s first national poet (and a relative of actress Mayim Bialik (“Blossom,” “The Big Bang Theory”). The house was recently restored to reflect the original look it had when Bialik lived there with his wife Mania. It also features books, letters and artwork given to the poet by some of the nation’s greatest artists.

The Little Prince Cafe / Photo Courtesy of PR
The Little Prince Cafe / Photo Courtesy of PR

SEARCH THE STACKS FOR THE PERFECT USED BOOK

In the mood for a fun vacation paperback? Walk down Allenby Street in Tel Aviv and feast your eyes on several used bookstores. Halper’s Books (87 Allenby St, 03-6299710), with its friendly American owner Yosef Halper, is arguably the largest purveyor of English language books – two-thirds of its 50,000 titles are in English. Walk in and you’re transported to an era before corporate bookstores, with just the right dose of Israeli informality.

Halper’s has been in business since 1991, and has impressive selections of every kind of book you could wish for. Return them when you’re done reading and get a 40-percent rebate. When in Jerusalem, get your new and used books at Sefer Ve Sefel (2 Yavetz St, 02-6248237). It has everything but specializes in nonfiction and fiction on Jewish and Israeli topics, as well as lots of Israeli literature translated into English.

Photo Courtesy of Dana Laura Lavi for Jerusalem Encounters
Photo Courtesy of Dana Laura Lavi for Jerusalem Encounters

EXPERIENCE AN ISRAELI POETRY SLAM

In a country where people speak their minds freely, poetry slams are particularly fierce – and fun. Poetry Slam Israel, affiliated with the Incubator Theater, runs slams in various cities including Tel Aviv, Rishon LeTzion and Pardes Chana. At each show, eight poets share spoken word, street poetry and monologues mixed with live music and an emphasis on the confessional. Representatives from the audience are invited to score the poets and see who will win “the gold microphone.” You can also catch the Incubator’s wildly popular Victor Jackson Band performing “The City,” a rap opera written entirely in rhyme and performed as one continuous song. The Hebrew opera (with performances in English) tells the story of a bitter detective called Joe in love with the beautiful Sarah Bennett and drawn into a complex murder mystery.

02-6543004 ,See: The Incubator Theater

LEARN ABOUT ISRAELI WRITERS ON ENGLISH-LANGUAGE RADIO

With podcasts like NPR’s “Serial” going viral, English radio in Israel is growing, too. Listeners who want to learn about Israeli books and writers can get in on the audio action at TLV1, English-language online radio, which now features a podcast called “Israel in Translation.” The show explores Israeli literature in English translation through street names, famous literary sites, and popular music.

Marcela Sulak, director of the English Creative writing program at Bar-Ilan University and a translator/poet, hosts the show. In soft, lulling tones, Sulak introduces listeners to the diverse world of Israeli literature, often playing music that expresses the narrative she is telling. In her most recent clip now available for download, Sulak presents the rebelliously beautiful poetry of LGBT poet Yona Wallach, who mixed romantic imagery with religious objects way before Madonna tried it. Marcela Sulak's podcast airs new segments each Wednesday at 17:00.

See: TLV1

GET LOUD (AND QUIET) AT THE LIBRARY

This month Beit Ariela, Tel Aviv’s main library, will hold a Poetry Cabaret on Jan 9, 12, 16 and 30. Bringing together music, theater and the poetry of Berthold Brecht, it will transport the viewer back to the decadent pre-war Berlin of Brecht’s poems, a place inhabited by prostitutes, drunks and lonely people. Part show and part poetry reading, it is meant to fill the senses and offer an entire experience. While you’re at Beit Ariela, don’t forget to check out the library with half a million books in several languages. For writers looking for a quiet place to work, the library even reserves a special section. The quiet listening areas in the music section have outlets for computers and free WIFI.

 Beit Ariela, 25 Shaul HaMelech Blvd, Tel Aviv, 03-6910141

CATCH A LOCAL READING

Recent grads of the Shaindy Rudoff Graduate Program in Creative Writing will be hosting a poetry and fiction reading in English. Listen to the works of Rasha Mansour, Estie Allison Rosenblum, Akilah Mosley and Nurit Steinfeld.

Photo Courtesy of Dana Laura Lavi for Jerusalem Encounters
Photo Courtesy of Dana Laura Lavi for Jerusalem Encounters

CELEBRATE LOVE AND STORIES IN JERUSALEM

With the recent influx of immigrants from Europe and the US, there’s been an explosion of talent among Israeli writers who choose to write in English. Writing circles and events in English have sprung up in every major Israeli city. Jerusalem Encounters offers cultural events that emphasize literary and narrative creativity in English and often take place at Tmol Shilshom, a Jerusalem cafe famed for its literary events. On February 15, the group will hold its first annual anniversary event with a special evening devoted to “travel love stories.” Participants will offer original stories and poems on the topic in honor of Valentine’s Day.

To find out more and sign up, contact creator and organizer Deena Levenstein (deenalev@gmail.com) and for more info: (jerusalemencounters.com). Looking for expat writers in other cities? Try The Writers Salon in Tel Aviv and Voices Israel, which both meet in various cities.