Mihail Sebastian (; born Iosif Mendel Hechter; October 18, 1907 – May 29, 1945) was a Romanian playwright, essayist, journalist and novelist.

Life

Sebastian was born to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in

Brăila Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The Sud-Est (development region), ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila. According to the 2021 Romanian ...

, the son of Mendel and Clara Hechter (née Weintraub). After completing his secondary education, Sebastian studied law in Bucharest, but was soon attracted to the literary life and the exciting ideas of the new generation of Romanian intellectuals, as epitomized by the literary group Criterion which included Emil Cioran,

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanian History of religion, historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. One of the most influential scholars of religion of the 20th century and in ...

and

Eugène Ionesco Eugène Ionesco (; ; born Eugen Ionescu, ; 26 November 1909 – 28 March 1994) was a Romanian-French playwright who wrote mostly in French, and was one of the foremost figures of the French avant-garde theatre#Avant-garde, French avant-garde th ...

. Author of the best known Romanian play Star Without Name. Sebastian published several

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

s, including ''Accidentul'' ("The Accident") and ''Orașul cu salcâmi'' ("The Town with Acacia Trees"), heavily influenced by French novelists such as

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust ( ; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, literary critic, and essayist who wrote the novel (in French – translated in English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'' and more r ...

and Jules Renard. He legally changed his name from Iosif Mendel Hechter to "Iosif Mihail-Sebastian" in April 1935. Although initially an apolitical movement, Criterion came under the increasing influence of

Nae Ionescu Nae Ionescu (, born Nicolae C. Ionescu; – 15 March 1940) was a Romanian philosopher, logician, mathematician, professor, and journalist. Life Born in Brăila, Ionescu studied Letters at the University of Bucharest until 1912. Upon graduati ...

's brand of philosophy, called '' Trăirism'', which mixed

jingoistic Jingoism is nationalism in the form of aggressive and proactive foreign policy, such as a country's advocacy for the use of threats or actual force, as opposed to peaceful relations, in efforts to safeguard what it perceives as its national inter ...

nationalism,

existentialism Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and valu ...

and Christian mysticism, as well as that of the fascist and

antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

paramilitary organization known as the

Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...

. As a Jew, Sebastian came to be regarded as an outsider within the group, even by his friends. In 1934 he published another novel, ''De două mii de ani'' (''For Two Thousand Years''), about what it meant to be a Jew in Romania, and asked Nae Ionescu, who at the time was still friendly with Sebastian, to write the preface. Ionescu agreed, generating uproar by inserting paragraphs both

and against the very nature of the book they introduced. Sebastian "decided to take the only intelligent revenge"Sebastian, Mihail. ''Cum am devenit huligan'' and publish the preface, which only heightened the controversy. Sebastian's decision to include the preface prompted criticism from the Jewish community (Jewish satirist Ludovic Halevy, for instance, referred to Sebastian as "Ionescu's lap dog"), as well as the far-right circles patronized by Ionescu and the

. The antisemitic daily newspaper '' Sfarmă Piatră'' (literally "Breaking Rocks") denounced Sebastian as a "Zionist agent and traitor", despite Sebastian's vocal declaration he was a proud Romanian with no interest in emigrating from his homeland. In response to the criticism, Sebastian wrote ''Cum am devenit huligan'' (''How I Became a Hooligan''), an anthology of essays and articles depicting the manner in which ''For Two Thousand Years'' was received by the Romanian public and the country's cultural establishment. In the book, he answered his critics by holding up a mirror to their prejudice, detailing and assailing the claims of both his right-wing and left-wing detractors. He addresses the rabid antisemitism of the former in a clear and unaffected manner, underlining its absurdity:

I was born in Romania, and I am Jewish. That makes me a Jew, and a Romanian. For me to go around and join conferences demanding that my identity as a Jewish Romanian be taken seriously would be as crazy as the Lime Trees on the island where I was born to form a conference demanding their rights to be Lime Trees. As for anyone who tells me that I'm not a Romanian, the answer is the same: go talk to the trees, and tell them they're not trees.

Yet for all the sharpness and clarity of his response, he could not help but feel betrayed and saddened by Ionescu's vicious preface:

What hurt me was not the idea that the preface would be made public - what hurt me was the idea that it had been written. Had I known it would have been destroyed immediately afterwards, it still would have hurt me had it been written...

Sebastian became known in

Romanian literature Romanian literature () is the entirety of literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language or by any authors native to Romania. Early Romanian literature inc ...

mainly for his plays, such as '' Steaua fără nume'' ("The Star Without a Name"), ''Jocul de-a vacanța'' ("Holiday Games"), and ''Ultima oră'' ("Breaking News").

''Journal, 1935-1944''

For 10 years, Sebastian kept a

journal A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of personal secretive thoughts and as open book to personal therapy or used to feel connected to onesel ...

that was finally published in Bucharest in 1996 to "considerable debate" and in America under the title ''Journal, 1935-1944: The Fascist Years''. It records the mounting persecution he endured and documents the disdain former friends began showing him in Romania's increasingly antisemitic sociopolitical landscape. A friend of

, he was deeply disappointed when the latter supported the

. Despite this ominous tone, the diary also reveals Sebastian's unflagging sense of humor and self-irony. A fundamental testimony of anti-Semitism in Europe prior to, and during, the years of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the ''Journal'' has been compared to those of

Victor Klemperer Victor Klemperer (9 October 188111 February 1960) was a German literary scholar and diarist. His journals, published posthumously in Germany in 1995, detailed his life under the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, the fascist Nazi Germany, Third ...

Anne Frank Annelies Marie Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – February or March 1945)Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new li ...

. He was a great lover of

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

and often attended concerts. In his ''Journal'', there are many references to various classical composers and reviews of radio broadcast concerts. After being expelled from his home due to the new antisemitic laws, Sebastian moved into a tenement slum where he continued his writing. On August 23, 1944, the Romanian government of

Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc� ...

was overthrown, and Romania joined the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

(''see

Romania during World War II The Kingdom of Romania, under the rule of King Carol II of Romania, King Carol II, initially maintained Neutral country, neutrality in World War II. However, fascist political forces, especially the Iron Guard, rose in popularity and power, urgi ...

''). The manuscript of Sebastian's Journal was smuggled out of Romania in 1961 by the author's brother, Andrei Benu Sebastian, who took it with him to Israel. It is currently held by the University of Jerusalem. In 2023, two researchers at the

George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899 – 12 March 1965) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the most important Romani ...

Institute of Literary History and Theory of the

Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...

discovered a handwritten notebook containing a previously unknown part of Sebastian's Journal, covering the years 1930 and 1931, when the writer was living in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Death

On 29 May 1945, Mihail Sebastian was accidentally hit by a truck.

Legacy

In the 2000s, Sebastian's ''Journal'' gained a new audience in Western countries due to its lyrical, evocative style and the brutal honesty of its accounts. The manuscript of the journal was obtained by Harry From, who arranged for its publication in 1996, by the Romanian publishing house

Humanitas (from the Latin , "human") is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness. It has uses in the Enlightenment, which are discussed below. Classical origins of term The Latin word corresponded to the Greek concepts of (loving ...

. In 2004, American playwright

David Auburn David Auburn (born November 30, 1969) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director. He is best known for his 2000 play ''Proof'', which won the 2001 Tony Award for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He also wrote the scree ...

wrote a one-man play based on Sebastian's diary titled, ''The Journals of Mihail Sebastian''. It debuted the same year in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and starred Stephen Kunken in the role of Mihail Sebastian. Sebastian's niece, Michèle Hechter, a French writer and translator, published in 2000 an autobiographical work titled ''M. et M.'' dealing extensively with her uncle's life and writings. In 2006, Mihail Sebastian was posthumously awarded the Geschwister-Scholl-Preis for his ''Voller Entsetzen, aber nicht verzweifelt. Tagebücher 1935-44''. (). On October 18, 2020,

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celebrated his 113th birthday with a

Google Doodle Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Bu ...

Selected bibliography

Novels

* ''Femei'' (1933) / ''

Women A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional u ...

'' (trans. Gabi Reigh
''Women''
Aurora Metro Books, 2020) *''De două mii de ani'' (1934) / '' For Two Thousand Years'' (trans. Philip Ó Ceallaigh
Penguin Modern Classics
2016) * ''Orașul cu salcâmi'' (1935) /
The Town with Acacia Trees
' (trans
Gabi Reigh
Aurora Metro Books, 2019) * ''Accidentul'' (1940) / ''The Accident'' (trans. Stephen Henighan, Biblioasis, 2011)

Plays

* ''Jocul de-a vacanța'' (1938) / ''Holiday Make Believe'' * ''Steaua fără nume'' (1944) /
Star with no Name''
(trans. Gabi Reigh, Aurora Metro Books, 2020) * ''Ultima oră'' (1945) / ''Breaking News'' * ''Insula'' (1947) / ''The Island''

Other

* ''Fragmente dintr-un carnet găsit'' (1932) / ''Fragments from a Found Notebook'' (Trans. Christina Tudor-Sideri. Seattle: Sublunary Editions, 2020) * ''Cum am devenit huligan'' (1935) / ''How I Became a Hooligan'' * ''Corespondența lui Marcel Proust'' (1939) / ''The Correspondence of Marcel Proust'' * ''Eseuri, cronici, memorial'' (1972) / ''Essays, Chronicles, Memorial'' * ''Journal, 1935-1944'' / published in America as ''Journal 1935-1944: The Fascist Years'' (trans. Patrick Camiller. Ivan R. Dee, Publisher, 2000) and in Britain as ''Journal: 1935-1944'' (London:

Pimlico Pimlico () is a district in Central London, in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by Lon ...

, 2003)

References

External links

''Mihail Sebastian''
by Loredana Dima

by Zachary Wemer

by David Auburn
''Thirsting for Music''

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

feature {{DEFAULTSORT:Sebastian, Mihail Jewish novelists People from Brăila Road incident deaths in Romania Romanian male novelists Romanian theatre critics Romanian people of World War II Jewish Romanian writers banned by the Antonescu regime Jewish Romanian writers 1907 births 1945 deaths 20th-century Romanian novelists 20th-century Romanian dramatists and playwrights Romanian male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Romanian male writers Holocaust diarists 20th-century Romanian diarists