His poetic style has varied over the years, from minimalist and romantic ("The Domestic Poem"), to erotic ("Ziva") and fiercely political ("Sun Sun").
He is the younger brother of Yaakov Shabtai, author of the novel Past Continuous, and was married to the linguist and political activist Professor Tanya Reinhart until her death in 2007. He is also the uncle of Hamutal Shabtai, who is a psychiatrist and a novelist.
Awards and recognition
In 1993, Shabtai received the Israeli Prime Minister's Prize For his translations.
In 1999, Shabtai was awarded the Tchernichovsky Prize for exemplary translation.
