Matti Friedman is an award-winning journalist and the author of four non-fiction books. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Tablet, Smithsonian and elsewhere, and he’s currently a columnist for the Free Press.

Matti’s most recent book is WHO BY FIRE: LEONARD COHEN IN THE SINAI (2022). His previous book, SPIES OF NO COUNTRY, won the 2019 Natan Prize and the Canadian Jewish Book Award. PUMPKINFLOWERS was chosen in 2016 as a New York Times Notable Book and one of Amazon’s 10 best books of the year. His first book, THE ALEPPO CODEX, won the 2014 Sami Rohr Prize and the ALA’s Sophie Brody Medal. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Matti was born in Toronto and lives in Jerusalem.

Author photo by Jonathan Bloom