Description
This collection of articles on the works of Aharon Appelfeld is unique in that each article is devoted to a study of one specific work. In this way the book draws attention to the special voice of each of the works by Appelfeld under discussion. Each author has his own approach and focal point – at times that of the researcher of literature and at times that of researchers from different disciplines, who were challenged by Appelfeld`s work and analysed it in their own special way. This varied view of Appelfeld`s works opens new critical horizons to literary critics as well, which prompted the editors to include this book in the series ``Critical Horizons``, a series published by Bar-Ilan University Press
This collection evolved from an annual seminar ``Traces of the Past in the Present,``
held at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, in which an entire year was devoted to readings in Appelfeld`s works. We regard his body of work as a continuous text that leads us back to the past by means of the traces that the past has impressed on the present. The collection reflects the aim of the participants in the seminar to address not only the literary-poetic aspect of this question, but also, and perhaps primarily, its historical, philosophical and social aspects.

Contributors to the collection:
Rachel Albeck-Gidron • Yoav Ashkenazy • Shraga Bar-On • Yitzhak Ben-Mordechay • Dror Burstein • Uri Cohen • Yair Eldan • Yakir Englander • Moshe Goultschin • Dorit Lemberger • Avidov Lipsker • Iris Milner • Ronny Miron • Gavriel Moked • Lilach Nethanel • David Ohana • Shai Rudin • Avi Sagi • Yigal Schwartz • Chaya Shacham • Naomi Sokoloff • Hillel Weiss • Tzahi Weiss • Zvi Zameret