As the first anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack approaches, Israel's National Library released a special report on Sunday highlighting books published in the wake of the war.
According to the report, 169 books and publications have been released, covering topics such as the hostages, stories of heroism, protests and memories of soldiers, as well as the rise of antisemitism in the Diaspora.
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The books and publications are covering topics such as the hostages, stories of heroism, protests and memories of soldiers
(Photo: Gadi Kabalo)
Of these, 42 are research papers and reports, 30 are nonfiction and reference books, 29 are personal testimonies and accounts of heroism, 14 are poetry collections, 9 are works of fiction and 3 are children's books. The National Library emphasized that the report is only partial, noting that writing and publishing books is a lengthy and complex process, predicting that hundreds more books will be published in the coming years, including a significant number of memorial and tribute books expected to be released around the anniversary of the war.
For comparison, the library examined the number of books published after the Yom Kippur War and found that about 300 were released within the first year (by the end of 1974). Over the following 50 years, thousands more books were published on the topic, both in Hebrew and other languages.
Since the outbreak of the war on October 7, the National Library has been tasked with creating an archive that documents all aspects of the digital response. So far, this includes 500 million online items, such as WhatsApp messages, social media posts and videos, as well as two million digital files, more than a thousand printed materials like posters, flyers and booklets, and thousands of filmed testimonies.
As part of its commemorative efforts, the library has launched a project titled "Lives Lost: The Works of the Victims of October 7," which honors those who wrote, edited and translated books before their lives were tragically cut short.
Additionally, on October 6, the library will host a musical performance titled "At the End of Tishrei: An Evening of Poetry and Remembrance," featuring journalist Ben Shani as host and performances by Shlomi Saranga, Alma Gov, The Backyard and others.