Michael was the first Hebrew author to make the Arab the protagonist in his stories and his referring to him neither with arrogance nor idealization. His style of writing milks both the treasures of the Hebrew language and the wealth of the Arab language. In all his writing the sanctity of life is uppermost. Michael's books have been translated into many languages and used as text books at universities and schools in Israel and abroad. Awards and citations 1976 (and 1990) – Zeev Prize 1978 – for literature, awarded by the Municipality of Holon 1981 – Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works 1981 – Petach-Tikva Prize for fine literature 1990 – Prize of the cylinder, Ministry of Education and culture and fund of culture America Israel, Omanut La-Am 1992 – Hans Christian Andersen Award – International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), Berlin 1993 – Victoria selected as novel of the year in Israeli Radio, Kol Israel 1993 – Am Oved Prize for Victoria 1993 – ACUM Prize for Victoria (1993) 1993 – Wizo Prize for Victoria (Paris) 1994 – Israeli Literature prize (by Ministry of Education, Science and Art) 1996 – Honor prize (Berlin) 1998 – International Rotary prize 1999 – Joseph Avileah Prize 2001 – special prize by Society for International Development (SID), promoted by United Nations and Italian Association for the Promotion of Peace in the Middle East (AISI), Italy 2002 – Awarded Key to the City, Haifa 2004 – Brenner Prize 2005 – President and Hebrew University Prize 2005 – Honorary of Beit Hagefen Arab-Jewish Center 2007 – Wizo Prize (Italy) 2007 – EMET Prize for Arts, Science and Culture 2008 – Gilboa Award for Tolerance and Coexistence 2012 – ACUM Lifetime Achievement Award for literature - "The Prize is granted for a long writing career that has spanned many years. Sami Michael has enriched the Hebrew literature in his unique, ground breaking work whose influence is far wider than just literature." 2012 – Ometz Decoration 2018 – Agnon Prize 2018 – Shulamit Aloni Prize for Lifetime Achievement Honorary doctorates The Hebrew University (1995) “a distinguished writer of the generation that witnessed the early years of Israel's statehood, Michael sheds light on aspects of life that rarely feature in Israeli literature and empowers his work with a use of true-life artistry that strips away outmoded myths and hackneyed forms of description." Ben Gurion University