Literatureרועי חן

Roy Chen

Roy Chen is an Israeli writer, playwright and translator from Russian, French and English, and the house playwright of the Gesher Theater.

born 1980House playwright of Gesher TheaterTranslating Russian literature into HebrewThe novel "Souls"

Born: 10 January 1980, Tel Aviv
Occupation: writer, translator, dramaturge

Roy Chen was born in 1980 in Tel Aviv

Roy Chen was born on January 10, 1980, in Tel Aviv. He grew up in the Nahalat Yitzhak neighborhood. His mother is of Moroccan origin, and his father comes from an old Sephardic family in the country.

As a teenager he studied at the Tel Aviv school of the arts. He is largely self-taught and began teaching himself Russian at 16 with the help of friends and books.

His story "The City Sh" was among the recommended entries in the Haaretz short story contest of 2004. Since 2007 he has been the house playwright of the Gesher Theater, where he wrote plays such as "The Dybbuk", "I, Don Quixote" and "Souls". His writing in prose and drama is linked to fantastic realism.

He has translated works by Chekhov, Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Bunin, Shalamov and Kharms from Russian, and "Winnie the Pooh" from English. His book "Souls" was on the Sapir Prize shortlist for 2020. He lives in Tel Aviv with his partner, theater and graphic designer Polina Adamov.