Israeli author Etgar Keret said he feels the world is losing its story during a recent podcast appearance.
Keret is a globally recognized literary figure whose perspective reflects the deep societal and emotional fractures following recent conflict. His reflections offer a window into how national trauma can reshape the process of creative writing and the perception of shared human narratives.
Speaking on the "What Matters Now" weekly podcast hosted by Jessica Steinberg, Keret said his perception of writing has changed. He specifically linked this sense of a lost story to the societal and emotional impact of the October 7, 2023 [2] Hamas onslaught on Israel.
Keret is a prolific writer whose work has reached a vast international audience. His books have been published in more than 48 languages [1]. This global reach underscores the tension between his individual experience of loss and the universal nature of his literary contributions.
Throughout the interview, Keret explored the difficulty of maintaining a coherent narrative in the wake of the attack. He said the feeling of a disappearing story is due to the fallout from the events of October 7, 2023 [2]. The author suggested that the scale of the trauma has altered the way he approaches the act of storytelling.
While Keret did not provide a roadmap for recovering this lost narrative, his comments highlight the struggle of artists to find meaning after a period of intense instability. He said the emotional weight of the conflict has fundamentally shifted his relationship with his craft.
“The world is losing its story”
Keret's reflections illustrate the intersection of geopolitical trauma and artistic expression. By linking the 'lost story' to the October 7 attacks, he suggests that extreme societal shocks can disrupt the conceptual frameworks authors use to make sense of the world, potentially signaling a shift in contemporary Israeli literature toward themes of fragmentation and disorientation.
