Mihail Sebastian (18 October 1907-29 May 1945), born in Brăila as Iosif Hechter was a Jewish-Romanian author.

He studied in Bucharest law and philosophy and later published several novels, such as "Accidentul" (The accident), "Poiana cu salcâmi" (The clearing with acacia trees), under the influence of the French novelists, such as Marcel Proust. In 1934 he publishes another novel, "De două mii de ani" (It's been two thousand years), about what it means to be a Jew in Romania.

However, he became known in Romanian literature mainly for his plays, such as "Steaua fără nume" (Unnamed star), "Jocul de-a vacanţa" (Holiday games), "Ultima oră" (Breaking news).

For 10 years, between 1935 and 1944 he wrote a Journal, published only in 1996 under the name "Journal, 1935-1944: The Fascist Years".

In 1945, the Romanian fascist government was overthrown and Romania joined the Soviet Union in fighting Nazi Germany. This ought to have meant safety for him, but ironically, only a few later he was killed by a truck of the Soviet Red Army.

See also

• List of Jewish Romanians