Karen Alkalay-Gut | |
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| Native name | קרן אלקלעי-גוט |
| Born | 29 March 1945 London, UK |
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| Alma mater | University of Rochester |
Karen Alkalay-Gut (Hebrew:קרן אלקלעי-גוט; born 29 March 1945) is a poet, professor, and editor who lives inIsrael and writes in English.
Alkalay-Gut was born inLondon. She moved with her parents and brother Joseph Rosenstein toRochester, New York in 1948. Alkalay-Gut graduated from theUniversity of Rochester, with a BA with honors, and an MA in English literature in 1967. From 1967 to 1970 she taught at theState University of New York at Geneseo before returning to complete her doctorate. In 1972 sheimmigrated to Israel. She taught at theBen Gurion University of the Negev from 1972 to 1976. In 1977, Alkalay-Gut began working atTel Aviv University, where she continued to teach.[1] She is married to Ezra Gut.
In 1980 her first collection,Making Love: Poems appeared with the aid and editorial assistance of poetDavid Avidan, and she has published over twenty books since. Her poetry has also appeared inHebrew, French,Arabic,Yiddish,Rumanian,Polish, Russian, German,Turkish,Persian and Italian.[2]Her concern with multimedia has brought about collaborations with fashion houses such asComme il faut, as well as sculpture, graffiti, ceremonies. Her translations of Hebrew poetry suchYehuda Amichai and Rony Sommek have numbered in the hundreds.
As a critic, Alkalay-Gut is the author of abiography ofAdelaide Crapsey as well as numerous articles onVictorian and contemporary literature. She has participated in numerousanthologies, encyclopedias and edited volumes. She has also translated poetry and drama from Hebrew and other languages, including Yehuda Amichai,Raquel Chalfi, andHanoch Levin.In 1980 Alkalay-Gut helped found the Israel Association of Writers in English, and functioned as chair from 1995 to 2015. She returned to chair in 2018. She also served as vice-chair of the Federation of Writers' Unions, and as an editor of theJerusalem Review.
Alkalay-Gut has appeared in venues such as theLibrary of Congress andKennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the U.N. and theYale Club of New York City, The Einav Center, Beit Avihai, theWilly Brandt Center, Mishkenot Shaananim and the Writers House in Israel, as well as many universities, churches, synagogues and nightclub around the world.
Alkalay-Gut was awarded theRubinlicht Prize (2019) for her contribution toYiddish Literature.[3] In 2018 she was listed by theJewish Agency for Israel as number 24 of one hundred Jews who moved from Britain to help shape the modern state of Israel.[4] Among her previous awards are the Jewish Agency Award in 1994, and first in the BBC World Service Poetry Award (1990).[5]
Books in English
Books in Hebrew:
Books in Yiddish:
Book in Italian:
Book in French
Book in Danish
Discography:
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