SHAANAN, AVRAHAM

SHAANAN, AVRAHAM (1919–1988), Hebrew writer and literary critic. Born in Galicia, Shaanan went to Palestine in 1935. Between 1953 and 1957 he was the London correspondent for the daily Davar, and subsequently edited its weekly literary supplement.   He lectured in comparative literature at Tel Aviv University (1957–61) and was cultural attaché to the Israel Embassy in Paris from 1963 to 1966, and editor of the literary supplement of davar . His stories and articles first appeared in Gilyonot and then in other literary journals in Israel and abroad. His books include Ha-Olam shel Mahar ("The World of Tomorrow," 1952), stories; Hillel Kawerin (1955), a novel; Iyyunim be-Sifrut ha-Haskalah ("Studies in Haskalah Literature," 1952), dealing with the influence of French literature on Haskalah writers; Millon ha-Sifrut ha-Ḥadash – ha-Ivrit ve-ha-Kelalit ("A Dictionary of Modern Hebrew and World Literature," 1959; 1970; 1978) and a study of Shaul Tchernichowsky (1984). His major work is a history of modern Hebrew literature, Ha-Sifrut ha-Ivrit ha-Ḥadashah li-Zrameha ("Trends in Modern Hebrew Literature," 4 vols. 1962–67, incomplete). He also published an anthology, Soferei Olam ("World Authors," 1966), 21 works by world-famous authors translated into Hebrew, with introductions, biographies, and notes. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Y. Friedlander, Historiyografiyah shel ha-Sifrut, in: Yedioth Aharonoth (March 31, 1978). (Getzel Kressel)