ABout

(English and then German)

I am a multilingual writer, poet, curator, and editor based in Berlin. I’ve already published twelve books both in Israel and Germany. My writing is diverse. It includes fiction, poetry, plays, articles for magazines and newspapers, texts for art exhibitions, short stories, and more.

Last year (2024), I received a scholarship from the German Literature Fund to write my first book in German: 'Jewish Sounds, German Words.'" This year (2025) my novel “Der Preis” was published on PalmArtPress Verlag in Germany.

My personal and artistic mission is to shine a light on injustice and discrimination and disrupt the status quo by using syncretism in my writing and the events I produce. I look to the past and to the future in order to find fresh new solutions for the present and work to bridge existing cultural divides. Syncretic art involves the merging of several originally discrete traditions thus asserting an underlying unity and allowing for an inclusive approach to other cultures. I believe in the power of words and their ability to bring about lasting change and I hope that mine make a difference in some way.

After moving to Berlin I founded “Poetic Hafla” a group that has created literary, music & art performance events featuring a diverse collection of artists from all over the world. I am now working on a new literary project “Anu אנו نحن: Jews and Arabs writing in Berlin”. The aim of this literary group is to promote a cultural dialogue between writers and artists from the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa. The members of “Anu אנו نحن” show how Jews and Arabs can work side by side, and how barriers and walls can be crossed through works of art and open dialogue. This project opens a dialogue within the German society regarding notions and historical narratives of the “Other” and the “Guest”, as well as allows us to learn more about the Arab-Jews narrative. It also promotes, in addition, a feminist and queer approach, and is committed to diversity of representation in their events.

In Israel, I co-founded the Cultural Guerrilla movement, bringing together artists, poets, and activists to politicize the discourse of poetry. This movement became a cultural force during the 2011 protests.

I have been a pivotal voice in declaring the Mizrahi identity and consciousness of the third generation. I have been actively involved in various Mizrahi movements, including The Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow, Ruh Jadida, and a Mizrahi appeal against Israel's Nation State Law, among others. I also played a key role in publishing the first two anthologies of Ars Poetica, a series of Mizrahi poetic events initiated by poet Adi Keissar. Through my work, I continue to challenge dominant narratives and advocate for a broader, more inclusive understanding of Mizrahi identity and history. Beyond Israel, I defined the term Mizrahi Diaspora, exploring how Mizrahim outside of Israel engage with their heritage, identity, and cultural narratives beyond national borders.

I promote a peaceful non-violent dialogue regarding the future of the region and share a passion to see peace in Israel/Palestine and to end the ongoing occupation in Palestine.

Mati Shemoelof, Jahrgang 1972, ist ein Schriftsteller, Dichter, und Kurator. Geboren und aufgewachsen in Haifa/Israel lebt und arbeitet er inzwischen mit Lebensmittelpunkt in Deutschland. Er hat sowohl in Israel als auch in Deutschland insgesamt zwölf Bücher veröffentlicht, darunter acht Gedichtbände. Sein Werk ist vielfältig aufgestellt. Es umfasst Belletristik, Lyrik, Theaterstücke, Artikel, Texte für Kunstausstellungen, Kurzgeschichten und vieles mehr.

Seine erste Veröffentlichung in Deutschland war eine zweisprachige Ausgabe seines Gedichtbandes „Bagdad | Haifa | Berlin“ (Aphorisma Verlag, 2019). Seine zweite Veröffentlichung in “Deutschland war: “Das kleine Boot in meiner Hand nenn ich Narbe: Gedichte“ (Parasitenpresse, 2023). Für den WDR entwickelte er das Hörspiel „Das künftige Ufer“ (2018).

In Berlin war er Mitbegründer der Gruppe „Poetic Hafla”, die literarische Veranstaltungen und Performances durchführte. Außerdem ist er Mitbegründer von “Anu אנו نﺣــــﻧ: Jews and Arabs Writing in Berlin”. Er ist Empfänger eines Sonderstipendiums des Berliner Senats,
um ein viertägiges arabisch-jüdisches Festival über die Vision für eine Nahostunion zu kuratieren.

In diesem Jahr (2024) hat er ein Stipendium des Literaturfonds Deutschland erhalten, um sein erstes Buch auf Deutsch zu schreiben: "Jiddische Sounds, Deutsche Wörter". Dieses Jahr (2025) erscheint sein Roman "Der Preis" im PalmArtPress Verlag in Deutschland. Neben seiner schriftstellerischen Tätigkeit ist er als Literaturredakteur und verschiedentlich in den Medien tätig. er lebt in Berlin, wo er glücklich verheiratet und Vater einer kleinen Tochter ist.