Sami Michael

Sami Michael

Michael was born in Bagdad, Iraq in 1926. He is novelist, president of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, and leader of the pluralism revolution in Israeli literature. His activity for human rights started already in Iraq, and in 1948 he had to flee to Iran, from which he continued to Israel.  Michael served as a journalist and was on the editorial board of Al Ittihad newspaper, until he retired from journalism and the Communist party in 1955. He studied psychology and Arabic literature, among other things, and worked as a hydrologist for 25 years. He authored novels, novellas, plays, books for young adults, children’s books, and nonfiction, including: All Men are Equal – But Some are More, Victoria, A Trumpet in the Wadi, Storm among the Palms, Water Kissing Water, Nabila, Aida, and Diamond from the Wilderness. His books have been adapted for film, television, and theater, translated into many languages, and are included in the curriculum of universities and schools in Israel and worldwide. He has received honorary doctorates from leading institutions as well as a slew of Israeli and international awards, including the Brenner Prize, the Ze’ev Prize, the Andersen Award, the International Rotary Prize, the Israel Prize, the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Emet Prize, ACUM Award, Patron of Haifa Award, and Patron of Beit HaGefen Arab-Jewish Culture Center Award. In 2008, he was appointed an honorary member of the Arabic Language Academy in Israel.