Alona Kimhi

Alona Kimhi was born in Lvov, Ukraine, in 1966 and came to Israel with her family in 1972. Following her graduation from the Beit Zvi Academy for Performing Arts, she became a stage and film actress. In 1993, Kimhi started writing plays, lyrics and essays. Since 1996, she has published novels, short stories and a book for children. Kimhi has been awarded the ACUM Book of the Year Prize (1996) for I, Anastasia; the Bernstein Prize (1999) for her first novel, Weeping Susannah, the French WIZO Prize (2001) and the Prime Minister's Prize (2001). A film based on a script of hers received the Israel Academy's Best TV Film Award for the year 2003. Her books have been published in 15 languages.