Sonia Wolff Levitin (born August 18, 1934)[1] is a German-American novelist, artist, and producer. Levitin, a Holocaust survivor, has written over forty novels and picture books for young adults and children, as well as several theatrical plays and published essays on various topics for adults.[2]
Sonia Levitin was born on August 18, 1934, in Berlin, Nazi Germany. Being of Jewish descent, she managed to escape persecution by traveling with her mother and two sisters to Switzerland. Her father, a prominent clothing designer, escaped to New York City and then to Los Angeles where he would raise Sonia and her sisters.[3] Levitin would later write several novels about struggling as an immigrant in the United States; these include: The Journey to America and Silver Days, a series about a family of German Jewish refugees who flee the horrors of the Holocaust.[4]
Levitin began as a publicity columnist for several newspapers, but after her first novel Journey to America became an instant classic,[6][7] she began to pick up traction as a professional novelist. Levitin wrote numerous novels for young adults that oftentimes featured semi-autobiographical characters. The most common theme of her writing include courageous main characters faced with difficult challenges, who must "take charge" in order to overcome these obstacles.[8] Her books often describe historical events and tragedies, especially toward Jewish people.[9]
Painter
Levitin is also noted as being a talented painter. Her artwork was displayed in June 2015 for the first time to the public.[10] And the inaugural art show, which was curated by Los Angeles event producer Anthony Angelini, took place at Christofle on Melrose Place in Beverly Hills, CA and was attended by several of the Los Angeles elite.[11] The show featured 10 of Levitin's expressionist paintings which were never-before-seen in the public arena.[12]
^Frischer, Rita Berman, “Sonia Levitin’s Return” Los Angeles Jewish Journal, January 19–25 (1990).
^Levitin, Sonia. Essay in Something About the Author Autobiography Series, Volume 2, Gale (1986): 111–126; and Volume 68 (1993): 130–134.
^Sonia Levitin Papers from the de Grummond Collection, McCain Library and Archives, University of Southern Mississippi, Collection No. DG0611, dates 1970–1989.
^Given in 1989 for the novel "The Return", this award was specifically ironic because it is given by the German Bishops' Conference to "the book which best promotes faith and Christian values.” Levitin was the first Jewish author to be recognized by the German Catholic Church and after a painstaking decision, she decided to return to Germany for the first time since the holocaust to accept the prize in person.
