Jonathan Yavin

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Jonathan Yavin

Jonathan (Yonatan) Yavin (born June 17, 1972), is an Israeli author of books for children, teens and adults. He is also a journalist, columnist, translator, op-ed writer and radio host. So far he has published 16 books,[1] some which were translated into Arabic, French, German, Chinese and Japanese. As journalist he wrote mainly for Haaretz[2] and Yedioth Ahronoth.[3] He also lectures and teaches creative writing.

Biography[]

Yavin was born in New York to news anchorman Haim Yavin and wife Yosepha while his father was the Israeli TV correspondent in the US. When Jonathan was 3, his family returned to Israel. At age 19 he began writing in local newspapers in Jerusalem. During his twenties he worked as a journalist and copywriter in advertising agencies in Jerusalem and studied for his bachelor's degree in philosophy and literature at The Hebrew University.[4] In 2001 Jonathan moved to Tel-Aviv and began writing for Ha'aretz newspaper. At the same time he was writing his debut novel, Baba Gee. During that period, he published his debut children's book, When I grow up... ("Haci Ha'yiti Rotze Lihyot", 2002, co-written with Nevo Ziv). The book focuses on professions in a comic and down-to-earth way. Like all Yavin's children books, it's rhymed. It was well received and is still repeatedly printed.

His 2nd children book, Pumpkin the Kitten (He'chatool Dla'at) earned acclaim and had major commercial success: It was voted for the Israeli board of Education "Book Parade" both for kindergartens and grades 1–3, translated into Arabic by the Centre for the Arab Child's Literature in Israel and was included in the board of Education's "Bookshelf" initiative, thus distributed in over 50,000 copies to schools and kindergartens in the country. This brought Pumpkin the Kitten to "Platinum Book" certification, issued by the Israel Book Association. In 2019 this book was selected for the PJ Library program in Israel and was distributed in over 140,000 additional copies, bringing total sales to over 200 thousand copies.[5]

Next to come out was Yavin's debut fiction novel, Baba Gee, published in June 2004. The plot revolves around a 28 year old photographer and his father's trip to India. It was well received by critics and audience alike and optioned twice for the cinema, but not filmed. Yavin's 3rd children book Oh, Brother ("Achla Ach", 2005), deals with a girl who has a new baby brother and persuades her parents to take him back to the hospital and swap him. The book earned its illustrator, Gil'ad Soffer, the annual Israel Museum commendation for Illustration.[6]

To this point Yavin wrote 16 books: 3 novels, a writer's guide, 3 teen novels and 9 children books. One of them, Cockatoo Hairdo (Gozlim Ba-Rosh, 2017), was translated to German and French. Another, King Leo Retires, appeared in China in 2019. Yavin's young adult novel Anti (2010), dealing with suicide and rap music, appeared in Japanese (2019).[7]

His 2nd novel, House-Sitter (Shemar-Bait, 2011) was key to his acclaim. It was written in a mix of biblical and 18th-19th-20th century Hebrew and was praised by prominent authors David Grossman, Haim Be'er, A. B. Yehoshua. Following its publication, Yavin was awarded the Prime Minister Prize for Literature in 2012.

He currently lives in Ramat Gan (greater Tel-Aviv area) with his wife Ravit and his three children.

Publications[]

Books[]

  • When I Grow Up... (Hachi Ha'iti Rotze Lihiot). Am-Oved Publishing house, 2002, children's book.
  • Pumpkin the Kitten (He-Chatool Dela'at Meshane et Ha-Da'at). Am-Oved Publishing house, 2004, children's book. Reached Platinum.
  • "Baba Gee" (Baba Gee). Am-Oved Publishing house, 2004, fiction novel.
  • Oh Brother (Achla Ach) Am-Oved Publishing house, 2006, children's book. Won the Israel Museum award for illustration.
  • "Zehavim" (Zehavim). Am-Oved Publishing house, 2006, young adult fiction novel.
  • "When Dad Was Sad" (Kshe Aba Haya Atzuv), Am-Oved Publishing house, 2008, children's book.
  • "In the Neighbourhood" (Baschoona Shelanoo). Am-Oved Publishing house, 2010, children's book.
  • "Anti" (Anti). Am-Oved Publishing house, 2010, young adult fiction novel.
  • "House-Sitter" (Shemar Ba'it). Am-Oved Publishing house, 2011, fiction novel.
  • "Building a Story" (Bonim Sipur). Kinneret-Zemora-Bitan Publishers, 2012, writer's guide.
  • "Dori the Dragon" (Doron Ha-Derakon). Am-Oved Publishing house, 2013, children's book.
  • "The Misanthropist" (Ha-Mizanthrop). Kinneret-Zemora-Bitan Publishers, 2014, fiction novel.
  • "King Leo Retires" (Ha-Melech Ahral'e Poresh). Kinneret-Zemora-Bitan Publishers, 2015, children's book.
  • "Love vs. Friendship" (Ahava Neged Haveroot (Yedioth Sefarim Publishers, 2017, young adult fiction novel.
  • "Cockatoo Hairdo" (Gozalim Ba-Rosh"). Am-Oved Publishing house, 2017, children's book.
  • "A Night at the Playground" (Layla Bagina). Am-Oved Publishing house, 2021, children's book.

References[]

  1. ^ "יונתן יבין". OverDrive. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  2. ^ "Danny the Red in the Land of White and Blue". Haaretz. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  3. ^ "Jonathan Yavin". ynetnews. Retrieved 25 July 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ "Jonathan Yavin". www.ithl.org.il. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  5. ^ "Pumpkin the Kitten – Sifriyat Pijama". Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  6. ^ "Gilad Soffer | Authors". Macmillan. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  7. ^ "鴨志田 聡子 (Satoko KAMOSHIDA) - アンチ - 書籍等出版物 - researchmap". researchmap.jp. Retrieved 2021-11-29.

Links[]

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