Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer is the author of the international bestseller, "Everything Is Illuminated," which was published when he was only 25. Hailed as the "Debut of the decade," and translated into more than 40 languages, it was named Book of the Year by The Los Angeles Times and has won numerous awards, including the Guardian First Book Prize, the National Jewish Book Award, and the New York Public Library Young Lions Prize. More than 1,500 people voted online for "Everything Is Illuminated" in the first People's Choice Award, sponsored by JBooks.com. It was named the decade's best work of Jewish fiction. A movie based on the book was released by Warner Independent in September 2005, starring Elijah Wood as Jonathan Safran Foer, Eugene Hutz as Alex, with Peter Saraf as producer and Liev Schreiber directing.

His second novel, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," went straight onto national and international bestseller lists. It received the "Literature for Life Award," the Victoria and Albert Museum Award, and the Prix des libraries du Quebec, and was shortlisted for the International IMPAC prize. "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" was also adapted for film. The movie was released in 2011 and starred Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock and Thomas Horn. Foer's subsequent novel, "Here I Am," was released in September 2016, continuing his exploration of complex themes such as identity, memory, and the moral challenges of the modern world.

Named one of Rolling Stone's "People of the Year" and included in The New Yorker's "20 Under 40" list of the best young writers in the US, Jonathan Safran Foer has had stories published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and Conjunctions. He is the editor of the bestselling anthology of writing inspired by the bird boxes of Joseph Cornell, "A Convergence of Birds." His libretto "Seven Attempted Escapes from Silence" was performed by the Berlin State Opera House in September 2005.

Over the course of 2006, Mr. Foer visited animal farms across the country -- from small, family-run organic farms, to factory farms that produce more waste than Los Angeles -- in an effort to get at the most fundamental question about food, which is not "Can this be eaten?" but "Should this be eaten?" He documented his road adventure and the ecological crisis he observed in the nonfiction book "Eating Animals," which became an instant New York Times and international bestseller. This work has played a significant role in discussions on vegetarianism and veganism, challenging the ethics of eating traditions. Foer also serves as a board member for Farm Forward, a nonprofit organization that implements innovative strategies to promote conscientious food choices, reduce farmed animal suffering, and advance sustainable agriculture. Foer has also taught creative writing at prestigious institutions such as Yale, Columbia, and NYU and speaks on topics like creativity, the future of Judaism, ethical eating, and climate change.