FIVE MORE MINUTES

FIVE MORE MINUTES follows Bnaya and Yoav and the tumult of their childhood in a religious West Bank settlement. An ambitious novel drawing on the author's intimate knowledge of the two contrasting worlds of the settlements and the metropolis, written with pathos and without judgement.

Bnaya, a young Rabbi and a family man, is caught between the extremist "Hilltop Youth" who are antagonizing their Palestinian neighbors, and the nonradical community in the settlement. He wrestles with the demands of religious life, between ignoring the Palestinians and acknowledging them, all while under the threat of government eviction from the place he calls home. Yoav moves to Tel Aviv, leaving the settlement behind and embarking upon his journey into the secular world. He takes psychedelics at a rave and re-experiences a traumatic even from his army service: a botched arrest that left both his friend and the Palestinian terrorist dead. In an attempt to find peace, he seeks out the parents of the dead officer, and despite the obvious danger, he revisits Palestinian village where his life was forever altered. Back on familiar ground in the West Bank, Bnaya and Yoav meet again. Will they be able to recognize one another? YONATAN BERG is a Hebrew poet and writer. He is the youngest recipient of the Yehuda Amichai Prize for Hebrew Poetry and a number of other national prizes. He has published four books of poetry, one memoir, and two novels. His first novel FIVE MORE MINUTES was awarded the Ministry of Culture Prize (2015) and was Nominated for the 2018 WIZO Award in France. His memoir, LEAVING PSAGOT, was published in France by Éditions de l'Antilope in 2020. His first English language collection of poetry FRAYED LIGHT (Wesleyan University Press, 2019, translated by Joanna Chen) was named a National Jewish Book Award Finalist. A bibliotherapist by profession, he teaches creative writing in Jerusalem.