Mati Shemoelof (b. 1972) is a Berlin-based writer, poet, curator, and literary editor. Born and raised in Haifa, Israel, he has published twelve books in Israel and Germany, including eight poetry collections. His diverse body of work spans fiction, poetry, plays, and essays, alongside texts for art exhibitions, radio dramas, and short stories.
Shemoelof’s writing navigates the intersections of Hebrew, German, Arabic, and English, interrogating themes of migration, belonging, and political imagination. He is widely regarded as a pivotal voice in contemporary Mizrahi-Jewish literature within the German-speaking world.
His literary debut in Germany was the bilingual collection Bagdad | Haifa | Berlin (Aphorisma Verlag, 2019), followed by Das kleine Boot in meiner Hand nenn ich Narbe: Gedichte (Parasitenpresse, 2023). Beyond the page, he developed the radio drama Das künftige Ufer (2018) for WDR.
A central figure in Berlin's cultural scene, Shemoelof founded the Poetic Hafla performance series and co-founded Anu אנו نحن: Jews and Arabs Writing in Berlin, a collective dedicated to fostering Jewish-Arab dialogue. In 2021, his vision for a "Middle East Union" was recognised with a special grant from the Berlin Senate for a four-day festival. He also serves on the editorial board of the literary journal Bridges גשרים Brücken لجس (Aphorisma Verlag); its inaugural issue focused on humanitarian efforts in Gaza and supported the Clean Shelter organisation.
2025 saw the publication of his novel Der Preis (PalmArtPress), a project supported by a scholarship from the German Translators’ Fund. In autumn 2026, Elif Verlag will publish his first book written entirely in German, Jiddische Sounds, Deutsche Wörter (Yiddish Sounds, German Words), for which he received a grant from the German Literature Fund.
Expanding his multidisciplinary reach, Shemoelof released the album Die Fremden sind die Freunde / The Strangers Are the Friends in 2026, a collaboration with musician Gidi Farhi. The project fuses poetry and music to explore multilingualism and personal memory, with both artists performing as vocalists.
His work has been supported by prestigious residencies and awards, including the Künstlerdorf Schöppingen (2024) and the Tarabya Cultural Academy in Istanbul (2025). He has received further backing from the Berlin Senate, Neustart Kultur, VG Wort, and the ACUM Foundation. A frequent guest at international festivals, Shemoelof continues to engage in readings and interdisciplinary projects across Europe and the Middle East.
What brought you to Berlin? Love? World politics? Or was it a coincidence?
The poetry brought me to Berlin. I was invited on 2012 to a translation workshop. I fell in love by coincidence with a Berliner and we got married and waiting for our first child. So poetry and love collided with coincidence.
What do you love about Berlin?
The peace. It does not have a war with another country and it does not occupy another people. Other then that i love the relax way of life.
What do you miss in Berlin?
I miss what all the immigrants miss: their loved ones, family, friends, country of origin, the middle east climate and food and more other things.
What is your favorite spot in Berlin?
Tempelhofer Feld. It is a living creature.
Would you say you are a different person in Berlin? A different translator? And if yes, in what way?
Yes. Berlin has changed me quite a lot. I became more queer, in everlasting translations with the other people i meet.
Which existing literary work do you wish you had written?
"2666" by Roberto Bolanio.
2024, Stipendium / Deutscher Literaturfonds.
2024, Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen residency.
2023, “Bagdad Haifa Berlin”, zweiten Auflage, Aphorisma Verlag. Berlin.
2023 "Das kleine Boot in meiner Hand nenn ich Narbe: Gedichte” (Parasitenpresse, 2023). ISBN: 978-3-98805-012-0.
2013, Acum grant for Israeli culture for the publication of the poetry book “The poetry that will never reach the shore”.
2022, The novel "The Prize" was on the final list of books nominated for the Shulamit Aloni's literary prize.
2022, Stipendienprogramm im Raumen von Neustart Kultur und VG Wort.
2022, “L’CHAIM - AUF EIN WORT|FESTIVAL“ - Zentrum für verfolgte Künste.
2022 My poems participated in the exhibition “Jüdisches Berlinerzählen. Mein, Euer, Unser?” kuratiert von Anja Siegemund, Eva Lezzi, Stefanie Höpfner. Stiftung Neue Synagoge Berlin – Centrum Judaicum.
2021, The Berlin Senate Grant for the “Middle East Union” festival.
2021, The Lyrik festival W:ORTE Innsbruck Festival. Austria.
2021, Acum foundation to promote Israeli art and literature for the publication of the novel “The Prize”.
2021, “Mygration” Festival in Berlin.
2020, Acum grant for Israeli culture for the publication “An Eruption from the East: Re Visiting the Emergence of the Mizrahi Artistic Explosion and it’s its Impront on the Israeli cultural narrative 2006-2019”.
2020, A full grant from the Lottery fund for literature for the publication “Acum grant for Israeli culture for the publication”.
2019, “Deutsche-Israelite Literaturetage". Boell Foundation and Goethe Institute.
2018, Hörspiel “Das künftige Ufer” WDR.
2018, National Lottery Art Trust Grant.
2017, Radical Jewish Festival – Maxim Gorki Theater.
2017, Musrara Mix festival. Jerusalem.
2017, LCB Berlin Sommerfest.
2016, Helicon International Literary Festival. Israel.
2016, Basel International Literary Festival. Switzerland.
