Mati Shemoelof, born in 1972, is an award-winning writer, poet, activist, author and curator. Born and raised in Haifa, Israel, he now lives and works in Germany. He has published a total of eleven books in both Israel and Germany, including seven volumes of poetry.
His work is diverse. It includes fiction, poetry, plays, articles, texts for art exhibitions, short stories and much more. His first publication in Germany was a bilingual edition of his poetry collection “Bagdad | Haifa | Berlin” (Aphorisma Verlag, 2019). His second publication in Germany was “Das kleine Boot in meiner Hand nenn ich Narbe: Gedichte” (Parasitenpresse, 2023). He developed the radio play “Das künftige Ufer” (2018) for WDR. In Berlin, he co-founded the group “Poetic Hafla”, which organized literary events and performances. He is also co-founder of “Anu نحن אנו : Jews and Arabs Writing in Berlin”. He is the recipient of a special grant from the Berlin Senate to curate a four-day Arab-Jewish festival on the vision for a Middle East Union. In addition to his writing, he works as a literary editor and variously in the media. Mati lives in Berlin, where he is happily married and the father of a young daughter.

“I express my sincere gratitude to the Schöppingen scholarship program for providing me with the invaluable opportunity to develop as a writer, poet, editor, and curator. In just two short months, I experienced a significant leap forward in terms of my writing capabilities. Projects that had been lingering on my desk for years were finally completed during this time. It felt as though my creativity was bursting at the seams. For writers, especially those balancing family responsibilities and day jobs, dedicated time for writing is a rare luxury. The scholarship afforded me the chance to set aside all other obligations and immerse myself fully in my creative work.
This achievement is not merely an individual one; it is a testament to the support of the community as well. Many of the projects I pursued during the scholarship period are inherently communal endeavors. For instance, I successfully completed the initial phase of curating a symposium in Berlin focused on exploring the connections between writers who write today in Hebrew and Yiddish and those who thrived in Berlin between the world wars. This accomplishment represents not only my personal growth but also a collective effort to enrich the cultural landscape and foster intellectual dialogue within the community.”