Etgar Keret

Etgar Keret (1967) is a writer and filmmaker from Israel. He wrote several collections of short stories, that were published and translated all across the globe.

Interview about his latest book Fly Already.

Israeli writer Etgar Keret has one of the most wondrous voices in contemporary literature. It made him something of a superstar worldwide. His rich body of work is definitely dealing with current affairs, but always in a slightly absurd manor, never boldly realistic. The basic question of his work seems to be one of the most existential ones imaginable: who is the Other? Pop culture and the divide between the (Middle) East and West, are also pillars of his writing. His stories are like the Parables of Jesus: they are equally human, magically realistic, poetic and provocative.

Keret’s new book is called Fly Already. Again he lets no stone unturned in his world of unique heroes and anti-heroes. In one story we meet a man who is so rich, he decides that one birthday a year isn’t enough to fulfill his need for self-celebration. He then starts to ‘buy’ birthdays from other, financially less fortunate people. In what is perhaps the most gripping of all the tales that are told in this book, we are introduced to three sisters. These young women have just lost their father. They project and transfer all their grief onto a rabbit, of which they are sure it is the reincarnation of their dad. Once again, Keret amazes with his touching and deeply human stories.

Also on the roster for this evening: the documentary feature Etgar Keret: Based On A True Story. In this film, Marloes Blokker, Stephane Kaas & Rutger Lemm try to unravel the mystery that is Etgar Keret. In a unique mix of live action and animation, they ponder what Kerets writings have brought them personally and how it has inspired the rest of the world. The central focus lies upon Keret’s continuing game with fact versus fiction.