September 16, 2010 Israeli Writer and Director Michal Govrin to Speak at the Library on Oct. 18

Press Contact: Audrey Fischer (202) 707-0022
Public Contact: Peggy Pearlstein (202) 707-3779 | Ann Brener (202) 707-4186

The search for meaning in a post-Holocaust world is the theme of many of the stories, essays and legends that comprise “Hold on to the Sun” by Michal Govrin.

The Israeli writer and director will discuss her work at the Library of Congress at noon on Monday, Oct. 18 in the African and Middle Eastern Division Reading Room, Room 220 of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C.

Newly translated from Hebrew to English, “Hold on to the Sun” is a kaleidoscope of haunting stories, which capture both the depths of denial and the exuberance of youth in the post World War II-era.

The event is sponsored by the Hebraic Section of the African and Middle Eastern Division and the Hyman S. and Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival, District of Columbia Jewish Community Center. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited.

Govrin is an internationally acclaimed writer and theater director whose multi-faceted talents have earned her an important place in contemporary Israeli culture. She has won numerous literary prizes for her works of prose and poetry, and was recently named as one of the most influential writers of the past 30 years by the Salon du Livre. Her pioneering productions of Jewish experimental theater have been performed in all the major theaters in Israel. Among her many theatrical achievements are a world-premiere dramatization of Samuel Beckett’s “Mercier and Camier” and a stage adaptation of Martin Buber’s “Gog and Magog,” considered one of the groundbreaking works of contemporary Israeli theater.

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/ .

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PR 10-208
2010-09-17
ISSN 0731-3527