Giora Leshem
Encyclopedia
Giora Leshem was an award-winning Israel
i poet and translator and one of the founders of the Keshev poetry publishing house. At the time of his death, Keshev was the largest independent book publisher in Israel.
, British Mandate Palestine. He studied chemistry and biology at Bar-Ilan University
, and then statistics and physics at Columbia University
in New York. In addition, he studied computer operating systems at IBM
. He taught at the Kfar Silver
Youth Village and also at the Ort Educational Institute
. He also participated in the development of medical software applications. He was a proofreader for the Davar
newspaper and an editor and translator for the Al HaMishmar newspaper.
's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
, which he translated twice, in 1968 for the Eked Publishing House and 30 years later for Keshev. In 1989, he edited the Rav Kol anthology, which was published with the assistance of the Israeli Authors Associations. In 1992, together with Moshe Dor and Barbara Goldberg, he was the editor of an anthology of Israeli poetry that was translated to English and published under the title, The Stones Remember, which won the Witter Bynner Foundation Award
in the United States and was selected by Choice Magazine
in Australia as an "Outstanding Academic Book" in l993.
In 1997, Leshem was one of the founders of the Keshev Poetry Publishing House, together with poets Raffi Weichart and Moshe Dor. The publishing house focuses on quality original and translated poetry. Leshem stopped his activities in the publishing house in 2008. In addition, Leshem was general secretary of the Hebrew Authors Association from 1986–87 and won a variety of awards for his creations, among which are the Bernstein Prize
(original Hebrew-language poetry category) (3 times), the ACUM Poetry Prize (twice), the Golden Feather Award, and the Prime Minister's Award in 1985 and in 2003.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i poet and translator and one of the founders of the Keshev poetry publishing house. At the time of his death, Keshev was the largest independent book publisher in Israel.
Education and experience
Leshem was born in Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, British Mandate Palestine. He studied chemistry and biology at Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University is a university in Ramat Gan of the Tel Aviv District, Israel.Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is now Israel's second-largest academic institution. It has nearly 26,800 students and 1,350 faculty members...
, and then statistics and physics at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York. In addition, he studied computer operating systems at IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
. He taught at the Kfar Silver
Kfar Silver
Kfar Silver is a youth village in southern Israel. Located near Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 316....
Youth Village and also at the Ort Educational Institute
World ORT
World ORT is a non-profit non-governmental organization whose mission is the advancement of Jewish and other people through training and education, with past and present activities in over 100 countries....
. He also participated in the development of medical software applications. He was a proofreader for the Davar
Davar
Davar was a Hebrew-language daily newspaper published in the Mandate Palestine and Israel between 1925 and May 1996.-History:Davar was established by Moshe Beilinson and Berl Katznelson, with Katznelson as its first editor. The first edition was published on 1 June 1925 under the name Davar - Iton...
newspaper and an editor and translator for the Al HaMishmar newspaper.
Literary career
Leshem has published five books of poetry (the latest of which, הנה ימים באים, Behold, The Days Are Coming was published by Keshev in 2007) and two books connected with the subjects of literature and poetry. He has also translated many books of poetry, prose and analysis, including William BlakeWilliam Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell is a book by the English poet and printmaker William Blake. It is a series of texts written in imitation of biblical prophecy but expressing Blake's own intensely personal Romantic and revolutionary beliefs. Like his other books, it was published as printed sheets...
, which he translated twice, in 1968 for the Eked Publishing House and 30 years later for Keshev. In 1989, he edited the Rav Kol anthology, which was published with the assistance of the Israeli Authors Associations. In 1992, together with Moshe Dor and Barbara Goldberg, he was the editor of an anthology of Israeli poetry that was translated to English and published under the title, The Stones Remember, which won the Witter Bynner Foundation Award
Witter Bynner Fellowship
Witter Bynner Fellowships are administered by the Library of Congress and sponsored by the Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry, an organization that provides grant support for poetry programs through nonprofit organizations. Fellows are chosen by the U.S...
in the United States and was selected by Choice Magazine
Choice magazine
CHOICE Magazine is a publication of the Australian Consumers' Association, a non-profit organisation founded in 1959 to research and advocate on behalf of Australian consumers. The organisation trades as CHOICE and is similar to Consumer Reports in the United States...
in Australia as an "Outstanding Academic Book" in l993.
In 1997, Leshem was one of the founders of the Keshev Poetry Publishing House, together with poets Raffi Weichart and Moshe Dor. The publishing house focuses on quality original and translated poetry. Leshem stopped his activities in the publishing house in 2008. In addition, Leshem was general secretary of the Hebrew Authors Association from 1986–87 and won a variety of awards for his creations, among which are the Bernstein Prize
Bernstein Prize
The Bernstein Prize is an annual Israeli literary award for writers 50 years of age and younger. The prize is awarded by the Bernstein Foundation, named after Mordechai Bernstein, who left money in his estate to establish a foundation in order to encourage young Hebrew writers...
(original Hebrew-language poetry category) (3 times), the ACUM Poetry Prize (twice), the Golden Feather Award, and the Prime Minister's Award in 1985 and in 2003.
External links
- Giora Leschem in the New Hebrew Literary Classicon
- http://www.blogs.bananot.co.il/showPost.php?blogID=228: Giora Leshem's blog on the "Bananas" site
- The Borrowed Identity of Giora Leshem by Eli Eshed