Israel Pincas (1935 – 2026)

Their Story

Israel Pincas was born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1935 and emigrated to Mandate Palestine with his mother in 1944, following the early loss of his father. He began publishing poetry in Israeli newspapers and magazines in 1951 and published his first collection, 14 Poems, in 1961. A member of the "Generation of the State," Pincas followed an individualistic path, keeping away from the literary mainstream, with his early poetry focusing on Mediterranean culture and his later works pursuing a dialogue with his European heritage. His most famous poem is "Ilmale" ("Were it not"). Over more than 50 years, Pincas published eight books of poetry plus a collection of prose, comprising about 150 poems including eight very long works, interspersed with periods of creative silence. Beyond his poetry, he worked as an editor for United Press and as a translator from various languages into Hebrew, and ran two art galleries in Tel Aviv while serving as an adviser on contemporary art. In 2005, Pincas was awarded the Israel Prize for poetry, along with the Prime Minister's Prize and the Bernstein Prize. He lived in Tel Aviv throughout his long literary career.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Pincas