Israel Bar Kohav was born in Israel, the grandchild of Russian immigrants who were among the founders of the city of Tel Aviv. His ancestors took part in what is known as the Second Aliyah, an influential, ideological wave of immigration that took place between 1904 and 1914.

Bar Kohav himself grew up in Givatayim and Ramat Gan, in the greater Tel Aviv area, and his poem refer to these areas. One of the most predominant themes in his work is childhood. He’s written about this period in nearly each of his 11 books. The writing is not nostalgic or romantic, but often filled with the terror and anxiety of a child confronting uncontrollable and enigmatic forces.

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Israel Bar Kohav on Poetry International Rotterdam.