What you experience in the army, aged 18 to 21, is what you take through all your life. You cross invisible lines: you shoot someone, get shot, break into people's houses. It's naive to think you won't carry anything into your life.

I was born at six months, and I weighed 900 grams [less than two pounds]. I have a very heroic birth story.

In Israel, the role of the writer is dictated by the language in which you write. Writers see themselves as cultural prophets.

I think when you write, you should call it a "writing spree." I don't write every day, and I don't write regularly.

It's funny, but I think my stories - the good ones - they're much smarter than I am.

For me taking a pragmatic decision when it comes to art is almost an oxymoron. The reason I first picked up a pen and wrote a story had nothing pragmatic in it.

The moment that you have a child - that you know that when he'll turn 18, he'll join the Army and go there for three years of compulsory service - then you can't help yourself of thinking about the future - speculating about it, dreading it or even being - trying to be more active to change it and improve it.