Football at Jewish Book Week

The England and Israel writers’ football teams are made up of footballing novelists, poets and non fiction writers. The England squad includes Whitbread-prize winning novelist and central midfielder Patrick Neate, up-and-coming young novelist, poet and striker Joe Dunthorne, and veteran goalie and fantasy writer, Graham Joyce, author of the recent memoir, Simple Goalkeeping Made Spectacular. The Israel squad includes Avi Shilon, biographer of Menachem Begin, and defender Assaf Gavron, author of the controversial novel, Crocattack, due to be published in the UK in April. The England and Israel teams met for the first time in Tel Aviv in December 2008, when Israel twice came from behind to win 3-2 with a late penalty. Come and see who comes out on top this time.

England: Graham Joyce, Paul Laity, Daniel Tatarsky, David Goldie, Jeremy Gavron, Saul Frampton, Marcus du Sautoy, Patrick Neate, Simon Kuper, Craig Taylor, Jakob von Baeyer, Matthew Hollis, Joe Dunthorne, Philip Oltermann

Israel: Dovi Keich, Mordi Alon, Eli Eliyahu, Avi Shion, Uri Sheradsky, Guy Lichenstien, Roi Shani, Noam Slonim, Ori Kerman, Tomer Kerman, Assaf Gavron (Jeremy and Assaf are cousins from across the footballing divide), Nir Baram, Amichai Shalev, Udi Sharabani

The Talk

Assaf Gavron, Jeremy Gavron, Jerrold Kessel, Simon Kuper, Uri Sheradsky, Jim Cockin (chair).

Two players from each writers’ team are joined by Jerrold Kessel, the author of Goals for Galilee, the story of a small Arab soccer club who won the Israeli State Cup. They will discuss the ways in which football can transcend national, cultural and religious boundaries – for players as well as audiences.

READINGS/DRINKS WITH THE TEAM

Join the England and Israel writers’ football teams for an informal
post-match evening of drinks, readings and performances.

Performers:

Israel
Amichai Shalev (fiction)
Udi Sharabani (spoken word)
Noam Slonim (comedy)

England
Musa Okwonga (poetry)
Jake Wallis Simons (fiction)
Craig Taylor (drama)

Music
Lail Arad