Yaniv Iczkovits

Yaniv Iczkovits (; born May 2, 1975) is an Israeli writer known for his novels, essays and philosophical work. His 2015 fantasy-historical adventure novel The Slaughterman's Daughter, with an unlikely assortment of Jewish characters on a quest in late 19th century Czarist Russia, has been translated into several European languages and gained critical acclaim.

Early life and education Iczkovits was born in Beersheba and grew up in Rishon Lezion. His grandparents immigrated to Mandatory Palestine after the Holocaust, from Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Romania. One grandfather was a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

In 1993, he enlisted in the IDF, volunteered for the Maglan elite commando unit and served as an officer. As a team commander he took part in the fighting in southern Lebanon. Upon his discharge from the IDF with the rank of lieutenant, he traveled to the Far East. He enrolled in the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students at Tel Aviv University for his undergraduate studies, and during his master's degree he spent a year as a Chevening fellow at Oxford University. His doctoral dissertation dealt with Ludwig Wittgenstein's thought and analyzed the interplay between ethics and language.

Academic career He taught for eight years at the University of Tel Aviv's Philosophy Department. After receiving his PhD, he went on to pursue postdoctoral research at Columbia University in New York City, where he adapted his doctoral dissertation into the book Wittgenstein's Ethical Thought.

For the academic year 2021/2022, Iczkovits was appointed to serve as artist in residence at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a position previously held by poet Agi Mishol and playwright Joshua Sobol.

During the Gaza war, he rejoined the army to fight Hamas even rejecting the occupation and Israeli extremism. Iczkovits also blames the Netanyahu government and the Israeli left for their attitudes to Hamas.

Personal life Iczkovits lives with his wife and three daughters in Tel Aviv. 2010 Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works (Levi Eshkol Prize), for Adam and Sophie 2015 Funding from the Ministry of Culture and Sport's People of the Book award for translation of Hebrew literature into foreign languages, for The Slaughterman's Daughter" 2016 The Ramat Gan Prize for Literature awarded for "literary excellence in the original novel category" for The Slaughterman's Daughter 2016 Inaugural award of the Agnon Prize for the Literary Arts, for The Slaughterman's Daughter 2021 The Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize for The Slaughterman's Daughter

Shortlisted 2017 The Slaughterman's Daughter: shortlisted for the Sapir Prize 2021 No One Leaves Palo Alto: shortlisted for the Sapir Prize

Reviewers' notable mention for The Slaughterman's Daughter 2020 The Economist – among the eight "Books of the Year" list 2020 The Times – among the ten "Books of the Year" 2021 Kirkus Reviews – "One of the 10 fiction books to look forward to in 2021" 2021 Publishers Weekly – "Best Books"

The Slaughterman's Daughter reviewed by the major press 2021 The Wall Street Journal – "Fiction: ‘In Memory of Memory’ Review" 2021 The New York Times – "Chasing Down a Deadbeat Dad, With a Knife Strapped to Her Leg"

Publications Nonfiction Wittgenstein's Ethical Thought (Based on his doctoral dissertation), London, Palgrave Macmillan,; 2012 . Convicts and Heroes: Wittgensteinian Afterthoughts on Uri Barabash's 'In Clean Conscience' and 'Double Alpha'. Article published by The Free Library, 2017

Fiction

Dofeq (Pulse), Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing, 2007, Danacode 310004255 in Italian: Batticuore, 2010, , ; translated by Antonio Di Gesù Adam and Sophie, Hakibbutz Hameuchad – Siman Kriya, 2009, Danacode 310004656 Dinei Yerusha (Laws of Inheritance, novella), Achuzat Bayit Publishing, 2010, Tikkun Ahar Hatzot (An After Midnight Prayer), Keter Publishing, 2015, in Italian: Tikkun o la vendetta di Mende Speismann per mano della sorella Fanny, 2018, , ; translated by Ofra Bannet and Raffaella Scardi in Dutch: De Slachtersdochter, 2019, De Geus, ; translated by Hilde Pach in Polish: Córka rzeźnika, October 2021, , ; translated by Anna Halbersztat