Introduction  In his best-known work, Night, Elie Wiesel describes his experiences and emotions at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust: the roundup of his family and neighbors in the Romanian town of Sighet; deportation by cattle car to the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau; the division of his family forever during the selection process; the mental and physical anguish he and his fellow prisoners experienced as they were stripped of their humanity; and the death march from Auschwitz-Birkenau to the concentration camp at Buchenwald, where his father died just days before American troops liberated the camp.
Well-known for his writings about the Holocaust, Wiesel is also a champion of human rights and an outspoken advocate for awareness of past and potential acts of genocide. In recognition of this work, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. Wiesel served as chair of the President’s Commission on the Holocaust and was a guiding force in the establishment of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The following bibliography is designed to guide readers to selected materials on Elie Wiesel that are available in the Library collection. It is not meant to be exhaustive. Annotations are provided to help the user determine the item’s focus, and call numbers for the Museum Library’s holdings are given in parentheses following each citation. If you are unable to visit the Museum, you may be able find these works in a nearby public or academic library, or acquire them through interlibrary loan. Talk to your local librarian for assistance.
Note: Many of Elie Wiesel’s works were originally published in other languages; this bibliography includes only items written in or translated into English.
Primary Sources
Essays:
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Abrahamson, Irving, editor. Against Silence: The Voice and Vision of Elie Wiesel. New York: Holocaust Library, 1985. (DS 135 .E83 W54 1985)
Three-volume collection of essays covering Wiesel’s career.
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After the Darkness: Reflections on the Holocaust. New York: Schocken Books, 2002. (D 804.3 .W465 2002)
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From the Kingdom of Memory: Reminiscences. New York: Summit Books, 1990. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z464 1990)
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A Jew Today. New York: Random House, 1978. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z51713 1978)
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A Journey of Faith. With John Cardinal O’Connor. New York: Donald I. Fine, 1990. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z465 1990)
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Legends of Our Time. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1968. (PQ 2683 .I32 C42 1968)
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One Generation After. New York: Random House, 1970. (PQ 2683 .I32 E513 1970)
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The Six Days of Destruction: Meditations Toward Hope. With Albert Friedlander. Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1988. (PQ 2683 .I32 S5 1988)
Memoirs:
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All Rivers Run to the Sea: Memoirs. New York: Schocken Books, 1996. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z52313 1996)
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And the Sea is Never Full: Memoirs. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z52313 1999)
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Night. New York: Avon Books, 1969. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z479 1969)
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Night. New translation. New York: Hill and Wang, 2006. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z47813 2006)
Fiction:
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A Beggar in Jerusalem: A Novel. New York: Schocken Books, 1985. (PQ 2683 .I32 M413 1985)
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The Fifth Son. New York: Schocken Books, 1998. (PQ 2683 .I32 C613 1998)
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The Forgotten. New York: Summit Books, 1992. (PQ 2683 .I32 O9213 1992)
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The Gates of the Forest. New York: Schocken Books, 1982. (PQ 2683 .I32 P613 1982)
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The Judges: A Novel. New York: Knopf, 2002. (PQ 2683 .I32 J4413 2002)
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Night, Dawn, The Accident: A Trilogy. New York: Hill and Wang, 2004. (PQ 2683 .I32 A2 2004)
Presents Wiesel’s memoir of the Holocaust, Night, alongside two works of fiction.
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The Oath. New York: Random House, 1973. (PQ 2683 .I32 S413 1973)
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The Testament: A Novel. New York: Summit Books, 1981. (PQ 2683.I32 T413 1981)
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The Time of the Uprooted: A Novel. New York: Knopf, 2005. (PQ 2683 .I32 T3613 2005)
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The Town Beyond the Wall. New York: Schocken Books, 1982. (PQ 2683 .I32 V513 1982)
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The Trial of God (as it was held on February 25, 1649, in Shamgorod): A Play in Three Acts. New York: Random House, 1979.
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Twilight. New York: Warner Books, 1989. (PQ 2683 .I32 C7413 1989)
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Zalmen, or, the Madness of God: A Play. New York: Random House, 1974.
Critical Responses and Interviews
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Bloom, Harold, editor. Elie Wiesel’s Night. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001. (PQ 2683 .I32 N8534 2001)
Anthology of scholarly essays exploring Wiesel’s most famous work. Part of the Modern Critical Interpretations series.
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Brown, Robert McAfee. Elie Wiesel, Messenger to All Humanity. South Bend, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 1989. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z59 1989)
Analysis of Wiesel’s spiritual writings by a noted Protestant theologian. Includes extensively annotated bibliography of Wiesel’s works.
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Cargas, Harry J. Harry James Cargas in Conversation with Elie Wiesel. New York: Paulist Press, 1976. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z6 1976)
Wiesel reflects upon his life and work through responses to a series of questions.
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Cargas, Harry J. Responses to Elie Wiesel: Critical Essays by Major Jewish and Christian Scholars. New York: Persea Books, 1978. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z85 1978)
Essays by scholars and literary critics responding to Wiesel’s early works, with a particular emphasis on the theological implications of his writings.
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Cargas, Harry J., editor. Telling the Tale: A Tribute to Elie Wiesel on the Occasion of His 65th Birthday. Saint Louis: Time Being Books, 1993. (PQ 36 .W54 T45 1993)
Collection of essays and poems by Wiesel’s friends and fellow scholars. Includes an interview with Wiesel and capsule biographies of each of the contributors.
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Franciosi, Robert, editor. Elie Wiesel: Conversations. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2002. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z48 2002)
Compiles twenty-two previously published interviews with Wiesel, covering a range of subjects. Includes a chronology of Wiesel’s life and work.
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Greenberg, Irving, and Alvin H. Rosenfeld, editors. Confronting the Holocaust: The Impact of Elie Wiesel. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1978. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z65 1978)
Anthology of essays that explore Wiesel’s place in the canon of Jewish and Holocaust literature. Contains a bibliography of Wiesel’s works.
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Horowitz, Rosemary, editor. Elie Wiesel and the Art of Storytelling. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2006. (PQ 2683 I32 Z658 2006)
Collection of essays by various scholars and literary critics analyzing Elie Wiesel’s place in Jewish storytelling traditions and the myriad of influences on his novels, memoirs, and essays.
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Kolbert, Jack. The Worlds of Elie Wiesel: An Overview of His Career and His Major Themes. Selinsgrove, Penn.: Susquehanna University Press. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z695 2001)
Overview and analysis of Wiesel’s major works, with an emphasis on the general themes that have dominated his writings. Includes a select bibliography of primary and secondary sources.
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Rittner, Carol Ann, editor. Elie Wiesel: Between Memory and Hope. New York: New York University Press, 1990. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z66 1990)
Collection of essays that explore the literary and theological themes that run throughout Wiesel’s writings.
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Rosen, Alan. “Elie Wiesel.” In Holocaust Literature: An Encyclopedia of Writers and their Work, pp. 1315-1325. S. Lillian Kremer, editor. New York: Routledge, 2003. (Reference PN 56.H55 H66 2003)
Provides an overview of Wiesel’s life and work, and critical responses to his writings. Includes an extensive bibliography.
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Saint-Cheron, Michaël de. Evil and Exile. 2nd ed. South Bend, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2000. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z46313 2000)
Explores various themes—such as the presence of evil, Judeo-Christian relations, and the responsibility of bystanders in a time of genocide—through a series of interviews between Wiesel and Saint-Cheron, a French journalist and archivist. Includes two interviews not published in the previous edition.
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Schuster, Ekkehard, and Reinhold Boschert-Kimmig. Hope Against Hope: Johann Baptist Metz and Elie Wiesel Speak Out on the Holocaust. New York: Paulist Press, 1999. (BV 4638 .S3413 1999)
Dual biography of Wiesel and Metz, a German Christian theologian, both of whom experienced World War II and the Holocaust as life-shattering events. Presents extensive interviews with both men.
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Vinciguerra, Thomas J, editor. Conversations with Elie Wiesel. New York: Schocken Books, 2001. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z4618 2001)
Distills a series of television interviews between Wiesel and Richard D. Heffner into eleven chapters, each exploring a particular aspect of Wiesel’s work.
Resources for Teachers
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Facing History and Ourselves Foundation: Night
Resource site for teachers at all grade levels who wish to explore Night with their students. Includes background information about the book, downloadable study and discussion guides, and an excerpt from the Facing History and Ourselves Foundation’s video Challenge of Memory.
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Hernandez, Alexander Al. “Telling the Tale: Sharing Elie Wiesel’s “Night” with Middle School Readers.” The English Journal. Vol. 91, no. 2 (2001): pp. 54-60. [Access this article through JSTOR]
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Hogue, David R. Night: Curriculum Unit. Rocky River, Ohio: Center for Learning, 1993. (D 804.33 .H64 1993)
Includes twelve lesson plans and 28 handouts designed for grades 7-12.
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Mahle, Benj. “Junior High/Middle School: The Power of Ambiguity: Elie Wiesel’s ‘Night’.” The English Journal. Vol. 74, no. 6 (1985): pp. 83-84. [Access this article through JSTOR]
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Totten, Samuel. “Entering the ‘Night’ of the Holocaust: Studying Elie Wiesel’s Night.” In Teaching Holocaust Literature, edited by Samuel Totten. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2001: pp. 215-242. (PN 56 .H55 T43 2001)
Presents an approach to teaching Night at the high school level that involves a pre-assessment followed by reader response and historical/interpretive analyses.
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“Using Student-Centered Comprehension Strategies with Elie Wiesel’s Night.” ReadWriteThink Lesson Plan (Grades 9-12)
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“Using Technology to Analyze and Illustrate Symbolism in Night.” ReadWriteThink Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8)
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Weissman, Gary. “Questioning Key Texts: A Pedagogical Approach to Teaching Elie Wiesel’s Night.” In Teaching the Representation of the Holocaust, edited by Marianne Hirsch and Irene Kacandes. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2004: pp. 324-336. (PN 56.H55 T44 2004)
Resources for Students
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Bayer, Linda N. Elie Wiesel: Spokesman for Remembrance. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2000. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z56 2000)
Biography and guide to Wiesel’s works. Intended for students grades 7-9.
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Houghton, Sarah. Elie Wiesel: A Holocaust Survivor Cries Out for Peace. Bloomington, Minn.: Red Brick Learning, 2004. (DS 135 .R73 W544 2004)
Biography emphasizing Wiesel’s ongoing advocacy for human rights. Intended for teen readers.
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Moore, Lisa. Elie Wiesel: Surviving the Holocaust, Speaking Out Against Genocide. Berkeley Heights, N.J.: Enslow Publishers, 2005. (DS135 .R73 W545 2005)
Describes Wiesel’s continuing work to raise awareness of past and potential acts of genocide around the world. Part of the Holocaust Heroes and Nazi Criminals series. Intended for teen readers.
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Schuman, Michael A. Elie Wiesel: Voice from the Holocaust. Hillside, N.J.: Enslow Publishers, 1994. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z87 1994)
Indended for teen readers.
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Stern, Ellen Norman. Elie Wiesel: A Voice for Humanity. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z879)
Presents an overview of Wiesel’s life and work, including his continuing work on human rights. Intended for teen readers.
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Sternlicht, Sanford V. Student Companion to Elie Wiesel. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2003. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z885 2003)
Provides background information and critical analysis to help students understand Wiesel’s life and work, including essays on each of his major books.
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Wagner, Heather Lehr. Elie Wiesel, Messenger for Peace. New York: Chelsea House, 2007. (PQ 2683 .I32 Z926 2007)
Chronicles Wiesel’s life from his childhood in Sighet, and later during the Holocaust, to his postwar writings and political activism. Includes photographs, a chronology, an appendix of his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, endnotes, a bibliography, and an index. Part of the Modern Peacemakers series, this book is written for young readers.
Film and Video
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Becker, Harold. Sighet, Sighet [videorecording]. Clarksburg, N.J.: Alden Films, 1990. (Video Collection)
Elie Wiesel reflects on the events of the Holocaust in Sighet, Romania, the town where he was born.
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Elie Wiesel: Witness to the Holocaust [videorecording]. New York: International Merchandising Corporation, 1990. (Video Collection)
Interview with the author. Includes footage of his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize.
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Elie Wiesel Goes Home [videorecording]. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Choices, 2002. (Video Collection)
The author returns to the village of his birth and to Auschwitz and Birkenau, where he was a prisoner during World War II.
Web Resources
Additional Resources
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Subject Files
Ask at the reference desk to see the subject files labeled “Wiesel, Elie, 1928-” for newspaper and periodical articles.
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Subject Headings
To search library catalogs or other electronic search tools for materials on the life and works of Elie Wiesel, use the following Library of Congress subject headings to retrieve the most relevant citations:
- Wiesel, Elie, 1928-
- Wiesel, Elie, 1928- Criticism and interpretation
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