For Amos Oz, the wrong word in a sentence is as discordant as a false note in a piece of music. Nicholas de Lange has been translating his work since 1971. Here he interviews the novelist about his latest book, Rhyming Life and Death, their shared passion for language and literature, the pleasures and travail of writing and the very special relationship which develops between writer and translator.
Internationally acclaimed writer, Amos Oz, was born in Jerusalem in 1939 and, at the age of 15, went to live and work on a Kibbutz. He now lives in Arad, and teaches at Ben Gurion University. Oz has published numerous works of fiction and collections of essays. He is a prolific writer of articles that address the Israeli-Arab conflict and leading exponent of the Peace Now movement. A full member of the Academy of the Hebrew Language, he is the recipient of many honours and awards. Oz’s work has been translated into at least 30 languages. Most recently, A Tale of Love and Darkness, was nominated one of the ten most important books since the creation of the State of Israel.
Nicholas de Lange is Professor of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the University of Cambridge and is an ordained Reform rabbi. He is a historian and author and has written and edited several books about Judaism. His own publications include An Introduction to Judaism, Atlas of the Jewish World, Hebrew Scholarship and the Medieval World. Nicholas de Lange has received many prizes for his translations most recently the Risa Domb/Porjes Prize for his translation of A Tale of Love and Darkness.
In association with British Friends of Hebrew University
