Smadar Shir

Smadar Shir was born in 1957 in Tel Aviv

Shir was born Smadar Sheinman in 1957 and grew up in Tel Aviv. Her mother was a teacher and her father was an engineer. She took the pen name Smadar Shir on the advice of the poet Tirtza Atar, so her religious school would not learn she wrote for secular papers, and it later became her official name.

She graduated from the Zeitlin religious high school. She then studied literature and general philosophy at Tel Aviv University. As a child she wrote for the weekly Haaretz Shelanu and later reported for Maariv for Youth.

In 1973 she wrote the lyrics of the songs Nifradnu Kach and Yalda Ktana. She wrote children's series such as Tzutzik, Gali and Yoyo, and 6 novels for adults. She lived with her family in Minneapolis for 9 years, where she published 7 children's books in English.

She wrote many songs for Mediterranean and rock singers, and children's musicals for Hanukkah. She was the first editor of the children's magazine Disney's World and writes weekly columns in Yedioth Ahronoth. In 2007 she won the ACUM Prize for her book HaAsiri.