Benjamin Balint wins 2020 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature for Kafka book
The nonfiction work details the controversial trial that determined the fate of Jewish surrealist author Franz Kafka’s manuscripts
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Benjamin Balint won the 2020 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature for his book “Kafka’s Last Trial: The Case of a Literary Legacy.”
The nonfiction work is an account of the controversial trial that determined the fate of Kafka’s manuscripts. The $100,000 prize, a program of the Jewish Book Council given to an emerging writer who demonstrates the potential for continued contribution to the world of Jewish literature, was announced on Monday.
Three finalists also will receive $5,000 each. They are Mikhal Dekel, for “Tehran Children: A Holocaust Refugee Odessey”; Sarah Hurwitz, for “Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life — in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There)”; and Yaakov Katz, for “Shadow Strike: Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power.”
The Rohr Prize, which has been awarded annually since 2007, considers works of fiction and nonfiction in alternating years. It was created by the children of the late businessman and philanthropist Sami Rohr.
Last year’s winner was Michael David Lukas for his book “The Last Watchmen of Old Cairo.”
Read The Times of Israel’s Haviv Rettig Gur’s review of the book here.
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