Gil Shalev

I was born in November of 1971, just two days after the release of Led Zeppelin 4, in a city called Ashkelon in the south of Israel. As childhoods go, I’ve had a very good one. No silver spoon in my mouth, but no stories of misery or hunger, thanks to my beloved parents. I have a brother and a sister, both of whom I love. I dare say, I had it pretty darn good. I didn’t have time for books until I had my first run-in with my commander which gave me some time to reflect about some things. I had a book, given to me by a good friend (Robert Silverberg’s “The man in the maze”) so this reflection resulted in me, finally figuring out what I missed for all these years. I wrote since I was 13 years old. My drawers, such as they were, were always full of semi juvenile poetry, some raw, politically infused ramblings, and even a few satirical pieces. All of the aforementioned were full of burning youthful emotions and so much room for artistic development. I was raised in a couple of farming communities in the south of Israel, and since 2001 have lived in different places, including Ottawa and Toronto in Canada, Alpharetta in Georgia USA and as I write these words, Zapopan, Jalisco in the great country of Mexico. I’m so grateful for these priceless opportunities to gain perspective and meet some really good people, without whom I would’ve still be writing very heartfelt words, none of which would result in a finished book. I dare say, I still have it pretty darn good.