Richard Zimler

• Name — Richard Zimler • Born — 1 January 1956 • Birthplace — Roslyn Heights, New York, U.S. • Occupation — Novelist • Education — Duke University Stanford University • Genre — Historical Fiction • Website — http: www.zimler.com/ • Citizenship — * United States • Portugal

Zimler graduated from Herricks High School in suburban New York in 1973. In 1977, he earned a bachelor's degree in Comparative Religion from Duke University and five years later obtained a master's degree in Journalism from Stanford University.

He was a Professor of Journalism at the University of Porto and College of Journalism for 16 years. He retired from teaching in 2006.

Zimler has written five novels that explore the lives of different generations and branches of a Portuguese-Jewish family, the Zarcos. This series, whose works are intended to be read in any order, originated with The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon, which is narrated by a youthful kabbalist named Berekiah Zarco who survives the Lisbon Massacre of 1506. These novels explore such themes as Jewish mysticism; slavery; the devastating effect of the Inquisition on Portugal and its colonies; and the psychological conflict created in people who are forced to hide their faith. The novels are independent works and, according to Zimler, none of them should be considered a sequel. The books that make up the Sephardic Cycle are: The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon, set in sixteenth century Portugal; Hunting Midnight, which takes place in Porto, London, New York and South Carolina in the early nineteenth century; Guardian of the Dawn, in which the main action takes place in Goa in the seventeenth century; The Seventh Gate, set in Nazi-controlled Berlin in the 1930s; and The Incandescent Threads, set mainly in New York and Montreal from 1970 to the present time but also with two long chapters that take place in Poland during and right after World War II. In its starred review, Publishers Weekly referred to The Incandescent Threads as "Exceptional... A richly drawn, original portrayal of tenacity and sacrifice." Two of the novels in the Sephardic Cycle have been nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award: Hunting Midnight and The Seventh Gate. All five books were Number 1 bestsellers in Portugal.

Zimler has also edited an anthology of short stories for which all the author's royalties go to Save the Children, the largest children's rights organization in the world. The anthology is entitled The Children's Hours. Participating authors include Margaret Atwood, Nadine Gordimer, André Brink, Markus Zusak, David Almond, Katherine Vaz, Alberto Manguel, Eva Hoffman, Junot Díaz, Uri Orlev and Ali Smith. In August 2011, Zimler published his first book of poetry: Love's Voice: 72 Kabbalistic Haiku. The verses in the book express Jewish mystical ideas and imagery in the form of haiku. Zimler has written five children's books that have been published in Portuguese: Maria e Danilo e o Mágico Perdido, Dança Quando Chegares ao Fim, Hugo e Eu e as Mangas de Marte, Se Eu Fosse and O Cão que Comia a Chuva. In December 2018, Portuguese singer-songwriter Pedro Abrunhosa released a new album featuring a duet with American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams for which Zimler wrote the English version of the lyrics. The song is entitled Hold Me. In 2019, Zimler published The Gospel According to Lazarus. Novelist Peter Stanford called it "a brave and engaging novel... a page-turner. I simply had to keep going to the very end in order to know on earth what would happen."

Zimler has lived with Portuguese scientist Alexandre Quintanilha since 1978, when they met in San Francisco, California, They were married in August 2010, when same-sex marriage was legalized in Portugal. He has lived in Porto, Portugal since 1990. In 2002, he became a naturalized Portuguese citizen. In April 2019, Zimler wrote an article for The Observer describing how his brother's death from HIV/AIDS at a young age affected his writing and, in particular, the themes of The Gospel According to Lazarus. In June 2019, Zimler wrote an op-ed article in The Observer asserting that, in March 2019, his publicist told him that two cultural organisations in Britain had lost interest in hosting an event with him to promote his new book when they learned he was Jewish. The publicist asked not to be named and that the organisations not be identified. According to Zimler, his publicist said that talks over hosting him were cut off over fears of anti-Israel protests. According to The Bookseller, a trade publication that covers the British publishing industry, both The Observer and The Guardian had checked and confirmed the account. One Jewish writer queried why no other Jewish author had reported a similar experience in the UK.

• The Incandescent Threads (2022) • The Gospel According to Lazarus (2019) (The paperback, published in 2022, has the title The Lost Gospel of Lazarus) • The Night Watchman (June 2014) • The Warsaw Anagrams (February 2011) • Teresa Island (published only in Portugal (2010) and Brazil (2012)) • The Seventh Gate (February 2007) • The Search for Sana (June 2005) • Guardian of the Dawn (February 2005) • Hunting Midnight (July 2003) • The Angelic Darkness (September 1998) • The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon (April 1996) • Unholy Ghosts (1996)

Richard Zimler is recorded as having received Prémio Arco-íris and Alberto-Benveniste Prize. Within the Encyclopedia. Connected to 2 other published records in the VALÉORINE Encyclopedia.