New Event: Iran in Turmoil: War, Regime Crisis, and an Uncertain Future
Iran in Turmoil: War, Regime Crisis, and an Uncertain Future Historian and educator Trudy Gold speaks with Iranian-born journalist, broadcaster, and former senior adviser on Iran at the Legatum Institute Sharan Tabari about the deepening crisis within the Islamic Republic, Iran’s role in the regional war, and the uncertain road ahead. Event Date: 1 July 2025 Event Time: 7pm […]
Book of the Week 24 June 2025
Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu by Anshel Pfeffer A biography of the man who has come to define modern Israel more than any other. In this sober and nuanced account, Anshel Pfeffer traces Benjamin Netanyahu’s rise to power, his hold on Israeli politics, and his outsized influence on the global stage. […]
Book of the Week 11 June 2025
Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Every Day by Clemency Burton Hill Whether you’re a complete novice or lifetime enthusiast of classical music, this book is sure to be your daily companion for the genre. With one piece of music chosen for every day of the year, Clemency Burton-Hill insightfully and playfully brings each piece […]
New Event: The World Within
The World Within We are thrilled to be partnering with Waterstones Hampstead in celebrating Genesis-JLF Emerging Writers alumnus Guy Stagg’s launch of The World Within. Guy Stagg will be in conversation with psychoanalyst and author Josh Cohen. This luminous new book, developed as part of our mentorship and author development programme, blends Stagg’s moving personal […]
Book of the Week 28 May 2025
Who Wants to Be a Jewish Writer? by Adam Kirsch A collection of essays in which esteemed literary critic and poet Adam Kirsch expertly writes about Jewish literature, the relationship between poetry and politics, and the future of literary reputation in the age of the internet. From examining questions of spirituality and morality, to asking […]
Book of the Week 22 May 2025
Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai By Matti Friedman When the poet and singer Leonard Cohen announced that he was abandoning his music career, a transformational event was to turn that around. In October 1973, Cohen decided to give a concert tour at the front lines of the Yom Kippur War. With nothing […]
Book of the Week 14 May 2025
Around the World in 80 Trees by Jonathan Drori Jonathan Drori’s number one bestseller is the perfect companion for nature enthusiasts. From the trees of Britain and the redwood forests of California, to India’s sacred banyan tree, Jonathan shows us the emotional, spiritual, inspirational, healing, and nutritious power of trees. Why do we love it? […]
Book of the Week 7 May 2025
Hanns and Rudolf by Thomas Harding A story that delves into the astonishing capture of the Kommandant of Auschwitz Rudolf Höss by his great uncle Lieutenant Hanns Alexander. Shifting between the Middle-Eastern campaigns of WWI to Berlin in the 1920s, the terror of the concentration camps and the trials in Belsen and Nuremberg, this is […]
Thomas Harding announced as first mentor for 25-26 Emerging Writers
First 2025-2026 Emerging Writers Mentor Announced The best-selling and award winning historian and author Thomas Harding has been announced as the first mentor for the newly opened 2025-2026 Genesis JLF Emerging Writers Programme. Thomas has written for the Sunday Times, the Washington Post and the Guardian, among other publications. In 2024, he was elected as a visiting fellow of Jesus […]
Book of the Week 30 April 2025
A Horse Walks into a Bar by David Grossman This short novel unfolds over a single night at a dingy comedy club in Netanya, as a comedian’s final performance veers into something raw and unsettling. In the dance between comic and audience, the life of the stand-up comic begins to take shape, full of guilt, […]
JLF Player Now Live
JLF Player: The home of Jewish ideas We’re proud to announce the arrival of the JLF Player: the home of Jewish ideas. The newly-designed video player features +1000 talks, debates and performances from previous festivals and Jewish Literary Foundation events, including star turns from Simon Schama, David Grossman, Judith Kerr, Howard Jacobson and Judy Blume. It […]
Kalman & Leopold: Surviving Mengele’s Auschwitz
Free online event – 23 April at 5pm BST For decades, Richard Lowy’s father, Leopold, remained silent. A survivor of Auschwitz and Josef Mengele’s inhumane experiments, his story is one of loss, resilience, and an extraordinary reunion. After 56 years, he and Kalman—another child survivor—found each other again. But they were more than long-lost friends. […]