Mankowitz, Wolf

(b. 1924)

   British writer. Mankowitz was born in London and educated at Cambridge University. He is the author of several novels, the best-known being Make Me an Offer (1952), A Kid for Two Farthings (1953) which is based on the Passover poem, Cockatrice (1963) and A Night with Casanova (1991). He has also written many screen plays including The Be-spoke Overcoat which won an Oscar for the best short film. MAPU, Abraham 1808–67. First Hebrew novelist. Born in Lithuania, Mapu received a traditional cheder upbringing. Later he learned Latin and modern European languages and became associated with the Maskilim, who were trying to promote modern culture among the Eastern European Jews. The word mapkeh, from his name, became a colloquialism among the Orthodox for a free- thinker. His ‘Love of Zion’ (1853; Eng. trans. under several titles, 1887, 1902, 1922.) was the first original Hebrew novel. Mapu wrote four novels altogether. Two are biblical, and the other, ‘The Hypocrite’, deals with the contemporary struggle of the Maskilim against religious fanaticism. His biblical novels were very popular because of the contrast between their plots and the drab lives of their readers; and his reconstruction of the days of Israel’s national greatness contributed to the rise of Jewish nationalism.