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Holley Rubinsky

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Holley Rubinsky
BornMay 18, 1943
Long Beach, California
DiedAugust 1, 2015(2015-08-01) (aged 72)
Kaslo, British Columbia
SpouseYuri 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

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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.[1][4] Since 2016, she has been memorialized by the Holley Rubinsky Blue Pencil Sessions at the annual Elephant Mountain Literary Festival in Nelson, B.C.[5]

Awards and honours

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Awards for Rubinsky's writing
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

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  • 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

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Lives Lived: Holley Rubinsky". The Globe and Mail. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Short story wins $10,000 for B.C. writer". Vancouver Sun, June 15, 1989.
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ "Kaslo author Holley Rubinsky passes away - Nelson Star". Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Holley Rubinsky Blue Pencil Sessions". Elephant Mountain Literary Festival. Kootenay Literary Society. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
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