This year, the International Festival of Writers at Mishkenot Sha’ananim and the International Book Forum will be held simultaneously from May 18 to 22. The French philosopher and writer Bernard-Henri Lévy will participate in the opening ceremony.
The two events, the 13th International Festival of Writers and the International Book Forum (which succeeds the International Jerusalem Book Fair, founded in 1963) will be held in the bucolic district of Mishkenot Sha’ananim, which overlooks the old town of Jerusalem.
The festival, supported by the Jerusalem Foundation and the municipality, will include literary events with authors, workshops, activities for children, music and theater shows, cultural meetings and an exhibition.
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The International Book Forum will open with the ceremony for the award of the Jerusalem Prize, which will reward the French author Michel Houellebecq. The jury of the prize chose Houellebecq unanimously, calling it as a radical writer who thinks deeply and fundamentally about the human condition and which has what can be described as “moral talent”.
Houellebecq, an international star of literature and controversial non-Jewish writer, often describes himself as pro-Israeli and also praises US President Donald Trump.
His latest and sixth novel, “Submission”, imagines France becoming an Islamic nation.
The writer Bernard-Henri Lévy will speak during the opening ceremony of the International Writers Festival, in Jerusalem, May 18, 2025. (Credit: Alexis Duclos)
-In December 2023, he told Ynet: “Recent events in France, Europe and the United States have proven, more than ever, that there must be a refuge for the Jews. I wonder if, exceptionally, I could one day emigrate to Israel ”.
The forum will bring together the best publishing professionals from around the world for in -depth discussions on the questions and key trends that shape the book industry today.
As part of a collaboration with the European Union aimed at promoting contemporary European literature in Israel, the International Festival of Writers will host a dozen unique voices, including Houellebecq, Gábor T. Szántó, Shalom Auslander, Piam Pailey, Maxim Biller, ARIENA HARWICZ, Volker Weidermann and Mikołaj łozi
The Accueillera également festivals is a large éventail de Voix Littéraires Israéliennes, Notadment Yael Neeman, Yaara Shehori, Maya Tevet Dayan, Dorit Rabbyan, Lihi Lapid, Alma Zohar, wonderful, Chaya Gilboa, Bacol Serlui et Noa Yedlin.
“This year, our festival turns its gaze to Europe, not only as a source of literary inspiration, but also as a place of reflection on the role of the writer in society,” said Julia Fermentto-Tzaisler, director of the festival.
Closed-Tzaisler said that other themes will be addressed, in particular the question of whether literature can arouse real change and if writers and philosophers can help shape public discourse and lead social transformation.
Bernar-Henri Lévy, who will open the festival, called the event “brilliant example of the vitality and resilience of Israeli culture in these times of deep sadness and challenge. Even in wartime and in the face of the conflict that has lost since 1948, Israel continues to create and enrich the world by its culture. This is only one of the expressions of Zionism, and it fills me with joy ”.
Lévy’s latest book, “Solitude of Israel”, deals with the growing international isolation of the Hebrew State and events surrounding the terrorist attack of Hamas on October 7, 2023.
He analyzes the rise of global anti -Semitism and his influence on the perception of Israel, by stressing how countries like Iran and Russia, as well as radical Islamist groups, took advantage of the crisis. Lévy is also interested in broader questions such as Zionism, the identity of Israel as a Jewish state and calls for a cease-fire without liberation from the hostages.
