Holley Rubinsky | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 18, 1943 |
| Died | August 1, 2015(2015-08-01) (aged 72) |
| Spouse | Yuri Rubinsky (1984–death) |
Holley Rubinsky (May 18, 1943 – August 1, 2015)1 was an American-born Canadian fiction writer who lived in Kaslo, British Columbia.
Biography
Rubinsky was born on May 18, 1943, in Long Beach, California.1 She came to Kaslo, British Columbia, in 1976 with her daughter, the artist and children's book writer, Robin Ballard.
In 1984, she married Yuri Rubinsky, whom she had met at a Banff Publishing Workshop, and couple moved to Toronto.1
The title story of Rubinsky's first book, Rapid Transits and Other Stories (Polestar, 1991), won the first $10,000 Journey Prize (1989),2 as well as the Canadian National Magazine Awards Gold Medal for fiction and a nomination for the Western Magazines Award. At First I Hope for Rescue (Knopf Canada, 1997; Picador, 1998) was shortlisted for B.C.'s Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, and was chosen for the Barnes & Noble Booksellers "Discover great new writers program". Beyond This Point was published by McClelland & Stewart in 2006. Her collection of short fiction, South of Elfrida (Brindle & Glass), was published in 2013.
Yuri died January 21, 1996, after suffering a massive and unexpected heart attack. After his death, she moved to Arizona, then returned to Kaslo in 2001.1
From 2006–2008, Rubinsky was host of The Writers' Show produced by CJLY-FM, Kootenay Coop Radio, a weekly program about the process of writing and experiences in publishing.3
Rubinsky died of cancer on August 1, 2015.14 Since 2016, she has been memorialized by the Holley Rubinsky Blue Pencil Sessions at the annual Elephant Mountain Literary Festival in Nelson, British Columbia.5
Awards and honours
| Year | Title | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | At First I Hope for Rescue | Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize | Finalist | 1 |
| 1989 | "Rapid Transit" | Journey Prize for Best Short Story | Winner | 2 |
Publications
- Rapid Transit and Other Stories. Vancouver: Polestar, 1991.
- At First I Hope For Rescue. Toronto: Knopf Canada, 1997; New York: Picador, 1998.
- Beyond this Point. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2006.
- South of Elfrida. Victoria: Brindle & Glass, 2013.
References
References
- "Lives Lived: Holley Rubinsky". The Globe and Mail. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- "Short story wins $10,000 for B.C. writer". Vancouver Sun, June 15, 1989.
- Van Luven, Lynne. "Holley Rubinsky's The Writer's Show: Broadcasting from the Kootenays, Wordworks: Federation of B.C. Writers Magazine, Winter 2007, pp12-13
- "Kaslo author Holley Rubinsky passes away - Nelson Star". Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- "Holley Rubinsky Blue Pencil Sessions". Elephant Mountain Literary Festival. Kootenay Literary Society. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2020.