Sami Michael, one of Israel's best-known authors, was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1926. At age 15, he joined a leftist underground movement acting against the regime in Iraq. In 1948, his activities were discovered and he fled to Iran, making his way to Israel a year later. After working for four years as an editor at Arabic-language dailies, he studied hydrology at the British Institute and joined the Israel Hydrology Authority where he worked for 25 years. During this time, he also studied psychology and Arabic literature at Haifa University. Michael has published novels, youth books, non-fiction and a number of plays. He has received many literary awards, including the WIZO Prize (Paris), the ACUM Prize, the Brenner Prize (2004), the Ze`ev Prize, an IBBY Award (Berlin), the Israel Prize, the President`s Prize (2005), the EMET Prize (2007) and the ACUM Award for Lifetime Achievement (2012). For his work for peace, he has been honored by the UN-supported Society for International Development, and the Association for Promotion of Peace in the Middle East (Italy). He has also been awarded honorary doctorates by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1995), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (2000) and Tel A Aviv University (2002) for his literary work and contribution to inter-communal reconciliation. Since 2001, Michael has been the president of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
Books Published in Hebrew
All Men Are Equal, But Some Are More (novel), Am Oved, 1974 [Shavim Ve-Shavim Yoter]
Storm Among the Palms (youth), Am Oved, 1975 [Sufah Ben Ha-Dekalim]
Refuge (novel), Am Oved, 1977 [Hasut]
A Handful of Fog (novel), Am Oved, 1979 [Hofen Shel Arafel]
Tin Shacks and Dreams (youth), Am Oved, 1979 [Pahonim Ve-Halomot]
These Are the Tribes of Israel (non-fiction), Am Oved, 1984 [Ele Shivtei Israel]
A Trumpet in the Wadi (novel), Am Oved, 1987 [Hatzotzrah Ba-Wadi]
Love Among the Palms (youth), Domino, 1990 [Ahavah Bein Ha-Dekalim]
Victoria (novel), Am Oved, 1993; Am Oved, Yedioth Ahronoth, 2010 [Victoria]
Brown Devils (youth), Yedioth Ahronoth, 1993 [Shedim Humim]
Unbounded Ideas (non-fiction), Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 2000 [Gvulot Ha-Ruach]
The Third Wing (novella), Keter, 2000 [Ha-Kanaf Ha-Shlishit]
The Israel Experience (non-fiction), Maariv, 2001 [Ha-Chavaia Ha-Israelit]
Water Kissing Water (novel), Am Oved, 2001 [Mayim Noshkim Le-Mayim]
Pigeons at Trafalgar Square (novel), Am Oved, 2005 [Yonim Be-Trafalgar]
Aida (novel), Zmora Bitan, 2008 [Aida]
Letters Go to the Sea (children-picture bk), Dvir, 2009 [Otiyot Holchot La-Yam]
The Flight of the Swans (novel), Kinneret, Zmora-Bitan, 2011 [Me'of Ha-Barburim]
Little Cricked Singing in the Rain (children-picture bk), Dvir, 2012 [Tzirtzaron Shar Gam Ba-Choref]
Drop and Droplet (children picture-bk), Dvir, 2014 [Tipa Ve-Tiponet]
Diamond from the Wilderness (novel), Kinneret, Zmora-Bitan, 2015 [Yahalom Min Ha-Yeshimon]
PERFORMED PLAYS
Demons in the Basement, Haifa Theater, 1983 [Shedim Ba-Martef]
Twins, Haifa Theater, 1988 [Te'omim]
He, Tzavta Theater, 1999 [Hu]
Books in Translation
Victoria
Dutch: Amsterdam, Arena, 1994; prback: Rainbow, Amsterdam, 1996
English: London, Macmillan, 1995
German: Berlin, Berlin Verlag, 1995; Berlin, Berlin Taschenbuch, 2007
Greek: Athens, Psichogios, 1995
Arabic: Cairo, Al-Dar Al-Arabiah wal-Nashr, 1995; Cologne, Al-Kamel Verlag, 2005
French: Paris, Denoel, 1996
Italian: Florfence, Giuntina, 2007
Chinese: Haikou, Nanhai Publishing Co., 2010
Russian: Moscow, Text, 2011
Refuge
English: Philadelphia, Jewish Publishers Society, 1988
Italian: Florence, Giuntuna, 2008
A Handful of Fog
German: Frankfurt, Alibaba, 1993; pback: Munich, Goldmann, 1997
Trumpet in the Wadi
English: New York, Simon & Schuster, 2003
German: Berlin, Berlin Verlag, 1996; pback: Munich, Goldmann, 1998
Dutch: Amsterdam, Vassallucci, 1996
Italian: Florence, Giuntina, 2006
French: Paris, Calmann-Levy, 2006
Persian: Los Angeles, CA, The Graduate Society Foundation, 2007
Chinese: Haikou, Nanhai Publishing Co., 2009
Portuguese: Amadora, 2020, Elsinore, 2021
Storm Over the Palms
German: Modling, St. Gabriel, 1995; pback: Weinheim, Beltz & Gelberg, 1998
Love Among the Palms
Russian: Jerusalem, Aliya, 1989
German: Vienna, Gabriel, 2000; Munich, Bertelsmann, 2003
Romanian: Bucharest, Allfa, 2006
Tin Shacks and Dreams
Russian: Jerusalem, Aliya, 1994
Pigeons at Trafalgar Square
Turkish: Istanbul, GOA, 2008
Aida
Croatian: Zagreb, Fraktura, 2014
Drop and Droplet
Arabic: Bnei Brak, Israeli Center for Libraries, 2014