Tsili Books

Tsili Books (Hebrew: צילי הוצאה לאור) is a small independent Israeli publishing house based in Jerusalem. Its name is formed from the opening syllables of the names of its two founders, Li and Tzipor — reversed, Tzipor and Li — a playful construction the founders describe as sounding like a girls' name from an earlier time. The press was established by Li Evron, a poet and translator, and Tzipor Fromkin, a children's and young adult author who previously worked at the Train Theater in Jerusalem. Both founders live in Jerusalem and, by a striking coincidence, once lived in the same house. The publishing house is deliberately tiny. In its own words, it is "a small press. Tiny, even." Because of its size, it states that it cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts at this stage. Its editorial mission is shaped by the founders' childhood reading: they recall that so many books they read as children featured boy heroes who ran, climbed trees, chased dangerous criminals, found treasures, fought, suffered, escaped orphanages and performed magic. At Tsili, they promised themselves, even if the press remained very small, there would be many heroines. Tsili Books publishes children's and young adult literature, including picture books, chapter books and graphic novels. Its catalogue includes titles such as "The Mobile Library Takes Off and Other Adventures" (הספרייה הניידת ממריאה ועוד הרפתקאות), which is also available as an audiobook, and works by Tzipor Fromkin. The press also offers gift cards ("Tsili gift voucher") and maintains an online store where new books and sample pages can be viewed. Li Evron is a poet and translator who has translated many books for adults as well as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and other forthcoming titles. Her children's book "The World Under the Carpet" was published by Tal-May in 2020. She is the mother of Hadar and lives in Jerusalem. In 2019 she won the Creation Prize for Translators for her translation of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." Tzipor Fromkin worked at the Train Theater in Jerusalem, where she staged productions such as "Grandma Knits" and "Pirate in the Bathtub." In recent years she has written for children and young adults. Her two previous books, "Ricky Lee Woo Stuck to the Chair!" and "The Edge of the World," were published by Tal-May. She is the mother of Evyatar and lives in Jerusalem. In 2019 she won the Devorah Omer Literary Creation Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature for "Ricky Lee Woo Stuck to the Chair!" Liron Cohen, an artist, illustrator and designer and a graduate of the Visual Communications Department at Bezalel, works with the press; her name, as the founders note, fits neatly with the name of the publishing house. She is the mother of Tamari and Haya and creates in Jerusalem, exhibiting actively in Israel and around the world. Among the books she has illustrated are "Not by the Book" by Hadar Nadler and the graphic novella "In Water" by Tehila Hakimi. Tsili Books operates primarily in the Israeli market, publishing in Hebrew and selling through its website. It is a private, independent venture rather than part of a larger publishing group.

Tsili Books was founded by Li Evron and Tzipor Fromkin, two Jerusalem-based creators who named the press after the opening syllables of their own names. The name, read in reverse order (Tzipor and Li), struck them as funny and reminiscent of a girls' name from an earlier era — an apt association for a press dedicated to giving girls and women central roles in its books. The founders' editorial vision grew directly out of their own childhood reading. They recall that the books they loved as children were dominated by boy heroes who ran, climbed trees, chased dangerous criminals, found treasures, fought, suffered, escaped orphanages and performed magic. At Tsili, they promised themselves that even a very small press would publish many heroines. Both founders brought established careers to the venture. Li Evron is a poet and translator who has translated numerous books for adults, including "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," for which she won the 2019 Creation Prize for Translators. Her children's book "The World Under the Carpet" was published by Tal-May in 2020. Tzipor Fromkin worked at the Train Theater in Jerusalem, staging productions such as "Grandma Knits" and "Pirate in the Bathtub," before turning to writing for children and young adults. Her books "Ricky Lee Woo Stuck to the Chair!" and "The Edge of the World" were published by Tal-May; "Ricky Lee Woo Stuck to the Chair!" won the 2019 Devorah Omer Literary Creation Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature. The press operates as a deliberately small, independent house. It publishes children's and young adult literature, including picture books, chapter books and graphic novels, and has released titles such as "The Mobile Library Takes Off and Other Adventures," which is also available as an audiobook. It sells through its own website, where readers can view new books and sample pages, and offers gift cards. Because of its small size, the press states that it cannot accept manuscripts at this stage. Tsili Books works with the artist, illustrator and designer Liron Cohen, a graduate of the Visual Communications Department at Bezalel, whose name the founders note fits neatly with the name of the publishing house. Cohen has illustrated books including "Not by the Book" by Hadar Nadler and the graphic novella "In Water" by Tehila Hakimi. The press is based in Jerusalem and serves the Israeli market, publishing in Hebrew. It remains a private, independent publishing venture.

• Li Evron wins the Creation Prize for Translators for her translation of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

• Tzipor Fromkin wins the Devorah Omer Literary Creation Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature for "Ricky Lee Woo Stuck to the Chair!"

• Li Evron's children's book "The World Under the Carpet" is published by Tal-May.

Small independent publisher of children's and young adult literature with a focus on strong female protagonists.

• The Mobile Library Takes Off and Other Adventures (הספרייה הניידת ממריאה ועוד הרפתקאות)

• Books by Tzipor Fromkin

1. 1צילי הוצאה לאורtsilibooks.com
2. 2אודות צילי הוצאה לאורtsilibooks.com
3. 3Tsili Bookswikidata.org