Alon Hilu

Alon Hilu is an Israeli writer and playwright.

Alon Hilu was born in Jaffa in 1972, the son of Damascus-born parents. He began writing at the age of 16, creating radio plays for Kol Yisrael’s “Reshet Aleph” radio station (edited by Miri Sharf), including a series of radio plays called Key Position about the adventures of a child who comes home to an empty apartment every afternoon.

Alon Hilu holds a LLB Degree in Law and a BA degree in the Art of Theater from Tel Aviv University where he studied Dramatic Writing under Israel’s leading playwrights Yehoshua Sobol and Shmuel Hasphari.

In 2004, Alon Hilu published his first book, Death of the Monk, a historical novel which re-tells the story of the blood libel against the Damascus Jews which took place in 1840. The book was translated into five languages and won the Israeli Presidential prize for a debut novel in 2006 and the Israeli Prime Minister prize in 2008.

In 2008, Alon Hilu published his second book, The House of Rajani, which was translated into six languages. A historical novel set in 1895 Jaffa, it describes the fascinating relations between Jewish and Palestinian characters locked in a struggle for land and power.

Alon Hilu’s articles include, among others, an essay on “Only Yesterday” by Shai Agnon, containing a post-colonialist reading and subversive interpretation, according to which Balak, the dog in the book, subconsciously represents the Palestinian narrative. The essay was published in “Ho!” journal in 2006 under the name A Story of a Shahid Dog.

Visit Alon Hilu's website at www.alonhilu.com