Holley_Rubinsky
Holley Rubinsky
American-born Canadian fiction writer (1943 – 2015)
Holley Rubinsky (May 18, 1943 – August 1, 2015)[1] was an American-born Canadian fiction writer who lived in Kaslo, British Columbia.
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Holley Rubinsky | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 18, 1943 Long Beach, California |
| Died | August 1, 2015(2015-08-01) (aged 72) Kaslo, British Columbia |
| Spouse | Yuri Rubinsky (1984–death) |
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]
| 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] |
- 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.
- "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. Retrieved 5 February 2020.