September 12, 2010 Israeli Writer Joshua Sobol to Speak at the Library on Oct. 8

International intrigue and psychological suspense come together in “Cut Throat Dog,” a spy thriller by acclaimed Israeli writer Joshua Sobol. The novelist and playwright will discuss his new work of fiction at the Library of Congress at noon on Friday, Oct. 8 in the African and Middle Eastern Division Reading Room, Room 220 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C.

Sponsored by the Hebraic Section of the African and Middle Eastern Division and the Embassy of Israel, the event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited.

"Cut Throat Dog" (Melville International Crime, 2010) takes the reader through the labyrinth of Middle East politics in an intricate web of literary influences that starts with a mysterious Israeli who refers to himself by the codename "Shakespeare." Intent on solving a long-abandoned case that left his partner and best friend dead, Shakespeare’s only solace is learning that the murderer is dead, until he thinks he spots the perpetrator on the streets of New York.

Sobol is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning playwright. His work has been staged in London, Paris, Los Angeles, Berlin, Vienna, Cologne, Toronto, Oslo and Washington, D.C. He has published two novels and a book of nonfiction, and his work has been published in many languages. Translated from Hebrew by Dalya Bilu, "Cut Throat Dog" is Sobol’s first novel to be translated into English. In 2001, Sobol’s first novel, "Silence," was nominated for the Sapir Prize for Literature of Israel.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.

The African and Middle Eastern Division furthers the Library’s mission by serving as the center for the study of some 78 countries and regions from Southern Africa to the Maghreb and from the Middle East to Central Asia. The division’s Hebraic Section is one of the world’s foremost centers for the study of Hebrew and Yiddish materials. For more information on the division and its holdings, visit www.loc.gov/rr/amed/.