Chamutal Shabtai

Hamutal Shabtai (; born 1956) is an Israeli psychiatrist and novelist who wrote a 1997 dystopian science fiction novel, 2020, that foresaw the COVID-19 pandemic and many of the circumstances surrounding response to the pandemic worldwide. The book was published by , with a reissue and a digital edition published in 2020. As of 2020, it was only available in Hebrew.

Early life and education Shabtai is the daughter of Israeli novelist, playwright and translator Ya’akov Shabtai and the granddaughter of David Negbi, founder of publishing house . She has one sister, Orly, who is a clinical psychologist. It predicts lockdowns, social distancing, and mandated health precautions. Shabtai recalls friends telling her when the book was originally published that the subject matter was "hard to relate to". As of 2020 it was only available in Hebrew. (See also: Lazaretto)

Personal life Shabtai as of 2020 lived in Kfar Sava. She spent most of her professional career as a psychiatrist at the . She has a daughter.