Itamar Ben Canaan
Encyclopedia
Itamar Ben Canaan is the pen name of Ithamar Handelman Smith, a Jewish writer
, publicist
, filmmaker and play-writer based in Paris. He is renowned for several controversial works, both in fiction and non-fiction.
He is named after Hebrew language reviver Itamar Ben-Avi
.
supplement of Haaretz
network at the age of 17. Between the years 1998 and 2003 he wrote a weekly culture critic column in Maariv
weekend magazines. During those years he published two volumes of short fiction: Where Have You Gone, Arik Einstein
? (1999), and Dreaming Of Junkfood (2001).
In 2004 Ben Canaan began writing a more personal weekly column in the Time Out magazine of Tel Aviv
that earned cult status in Israeli culture, according to Nana 10
. Other than those collections of short stories he produced two volumes of poetry and one erotic narrative novel including photos taken by his then partner, artist Olga Borozina. Canaan also translated the poetry of Charles Bukowski
into Hebrew and edited translations of other American writings.
In 2005 he was a subject of a documentary film entitled The Ashkenazim.http://imdb.com/title/tt0816422/combined
Canaan currently lives with his wife Julia Carolyn Ann Handelman Smith in Paris
, France
and is employed by Ha-Ir, a Tel Aviv
local newspaper associated with Haaretz
.
During 2009 and 2010, while living in Belfast
, Northern Ireland, Ben Canaan was commissioned by the Verbal Art Centre in Derry and the UK Legacy Trust to write a musical called The Naked Tornado (2011) http://comment-8.com/projects.php?project=7 alongside young Northern Irish composer Neil Burns. A 30 minute long piece of the play was staged in Belfast. In early 2012 Ben Canaan's film Belfast Blues (2012) is due to be released http://www.gumfilms.com/belfast-blues.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, publicist
Publicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
, filmmaker and play-writer based in Paris. He is renowned for several controversial works, both in fiction and non-fiction.
He is named after Hebrew language reviver Itamar Ben-Avi
Itamar Ben-Avi
Itamar Ben-Avi was the son of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. Eliezer is credited with reviving the Hebrew language and brought up Itamar to be the first native speaker of what would become Modern Hebrew...
.
Carrier
Ben Canaan began writing for the HerzliyaHerzliya
Herzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
supplement of Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
network at the age of 17. Between the years 1998 and 2003 he wrote a weekly culture critic column in Maariv
Maariv
Maariv is a Hebrew language daily newspaper published in Israel. It is second in sales after Yedioth Ahronoth and third in readership after Yedioth Ahronoth and Israel HaYom. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Maariv saw its market share fall slightly...
weekend magazines. During those years he published two volumes of short fiction: Where Have You Gone, Arik Einstein
Arik Einstein
Arik Einstein is an Israeli singer-songwriter.Einstein was a vocalist for Batzal Yarok , Shleeshiyat Gesher Hayarkon and Hahalonot Hagvohim . His collaboration with Shalom Hanoch and the Churchills planted the seeds for the first Israeli rock albums...
? (1999), and Dreaming Of Junkfood (2001).
In 2004 Ben Canaan began writing a more personal weekly column in the Time Out magazine of Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
that earned cult status in Israeli culture, according to Nana 10
Nana 10
Nana 10 , previouslly Nana , is an Israeli Web portal, one of the biggest in Israeli web media. The website is owned by Israeli web and communication company 013 Netvision, and Israeli news Channel 10, and consist of Internet forums, which it is especially known for, news, culture sections, an...
. Other than those collections of short stories he produced two volumes of poetry and one erotic narrative novel including photos taken by his then partner, artist Olga Borozina. Canaan also translated the poetry of Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
into Hebrew and edited translations of other American writings.
In 2005 he was a subject of a documentary film entitled The Ashkenazim.http://imdb.com/title/tt0816422/combined
Canaan currently lives with his wife Julia Carolyn Ann Handelman Smith in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and is employed by Ha-Ir, a Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
local newspaper associated with Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
.
During 2009 and 2010, while living in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland, Ben Canaan was commissioned by the Verbal Art Centre in Derry and the UK Legacy Trust to write a musical called The Naked Tornado (2011) http://comment-8.com/projects.php?project=7 alongside young Northern Irish composer Neil Burns. A 30 minute long piece of the play was staged in Belfast. In early 2012 Ben Canaan's film Belfast Blues (2012) is due to be released http://www.gumfilms.com/belfast-blues.
External links
- "Erotic Novel from Israel" on Itamar Ben Canaan from the Czech website expats.cz.
- The Ashkenazim in the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival
- More info from Michal Govrin website
- an Essay in the jewish agency website