Shulamit Lapid was born in Tel Aviv during the Mandate era. Lapid's father, David Giladi, was a well-known journalist, novelist, and translator, as well as one of the founders of the Israeli newspaper Maariv. In Lapid's book Veulai Lo Hayu she documents the story of her father's immigration to Israel, his integration into Israeli society, and her own childhood in Tel Aviv during the 1930s and 1940s. Lapid is the widow of Yosef Lapid, a journalist, politician and public figure. They had three children: Michal, Merav, and Yair - a well-known Israeli politician, novelist, journalist and television personality. Lapid lived in the "Journalists' Residence" – an apartments building in the Tel Aviv Yad Eliyahu neighborhood, where several notable journalists, including Shabtai Don Yehiya, Yigal Lev, Levi Yitzhak Hayerushalmi, also lived. She holds a degree in Middle Eastern studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She once served as the CEO of the Hebrew Writers Association in Israel, and has published novels, children's books, plays, and short stories. In 2012, it was made public that she worked undercover for the Mossad and took part in covert activity.
Literary career
Plays written by Lapid: HaYerusha, Abandoned Property, Mifal Hayav, and A Surrogate's Womb. Lapid's most well-known book Valley of Strength tells the story of the first immigrants to the modern land of Israel, and of the founders of the Rosh Pina Moshava. Its sequel Havat Haalamot stars the protagonists of Valley of Strength and others during the second Aliyah, who were part of Havat Haalamot project to train women in farming near the Sea of Galilee Farm. Keheres Hanishbar, another book by Lapid, tells the story of the nineteenth century antiquities dealer Moses Wilhelm Shapira. Lapid wrote several children's books, and also the words for the song "Rosa Marzipan", which was composed by Shlomo Gronich. Lapid's spy-themed literature is especially popular in Israel. She is the creator of the character Lizzy Badihi, who is featured in six of Lapid’s thriller novels. Badihi is a journalist of a Beershebalocal newspaper called "HaZman Darom", and in each book she stubbornly insists on dealing with a detective mystery no one asked her to solve. The first book in this series, "Mekomon", is a prominent Hebrew detective novel that helped the genre flourish in Israel. The main character of the series, Badihi, solves several cases while "tottering in her oversized shoes and wearing oversized earrings", as Lapid liked to describe her.
In 1996 Lapid won a Newman Prize. In 2013 she won a Steimatzky Prize for her book Abandoned Furniture.
Books
Children's books
Novels
Stories
Lizzy Badihi series
Plays presented in Israel
Abandoned Property directed by Aharon Almog, costumes by Eli Sinai, music by Misha Balhrovic, staged at the Cameri Theater in March 1987, at Habima Theater in 2006, directed by Itzik Weingarten, and conducted currently at Nozar Theater.
A Surrogate's Womb directed by Ilan Ronen, scenery and costume work by Rut Dar, music by Dan Hendelsmann, staged at the Cameri Theater in April 1990.
Mifal Hayav directed by Ori Pester, scenery and costume work by Dudu Mazah, music by Ori Vidislavsky, staged at the Cameri Theater in March 1992.
Haflagot directed by Amit Gazit, scenery and costume work by Tal Yitzhaki, music by Eldad Lidor, staged at the Cameri Theater in January 1997.
