Literary award · Israel · since 2000

Sapir Prize for Literature

Israeli Hebrew-language literary prize. Established 2000.

About Sapir Prize for Literature

The Sapir Prize for Literature of Israel is an annual literary award presented for a work of literature in the Hebrew language. The prize is awarded by Mifal HaPayis (Israel's state lottery), and is a part of the organization's cultural initiatives. It bears the name of the late Pinhas Sapir, a former Finance Minister of Israel, and was first awarded in 2000.

From the Wikipedia article “Sapir Prize”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2025Yossi Avni-Levy—
2025Breakdown and Bereavment and Zombies—
2024Ayal Hayut-man—
2023Ofra Offer—
2022Orit Ilan—
2021Hila Blum—
2020Arnon Itiel—
2020Sami Berdugo—
2019Tomorrow we will go to the Amusement Park—
2019Etgar Keret—
2019Ilana Bernstein—
2018Aya Kaniuk—
2017Ester Peled—
2016Michal Ben-Naphtali—
2015Orly Castel-Bloom—

From Wikidata; the list may be incomplete for some years.

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the Sapir Prize for Literature for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.

Sources & data