Eden Robinson
Encyclopedia
Eden Victoria Lena Robinson (born 19 January 1968) is a Canadian
novelist and short story
writer.
Born in Kitamaat
, British Columbia
, she is a member of the Haisla
and Heiltsuk
First Nations
. She was educated at the University of Victoria
and the University of British Columbia
.
Robinson's critically acclaimed first book, Traplines (1995), was a collection of four longish short stories. The young narrators recount haunting tales of their disturbing relationships with sociopaths and psychopaths. The collection won Britain's Winifred Holtby Prize for the best regional work by a Commonwealth writer. One of the stories, Queen of the North, was also published in the The Penguin Anthology of Stories by Canadian Women
. Another of her short stories, Terminal Avenue, (which was not included in Traplines) was published in the anthology of postcolonial science fiction and fantasy So Long Been Dreaming
.
Her second book, Monkey Beach
(2000), was a novel. It is set in Kitamaat territory and follows a teenaged girl's search for answers to and understanding of her younger brother's disappearance at sea while in the retrospective, it tells a story about growing up on a Haisla reserve. The book is both a mystery and a spiritual journey, combining contemporary realism with Haisla mysticism. Monkey Beach was short-listed for the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award, and received the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize
.
In her third book, Blood Sports (2006), also a novel, Eden Robinson returns to the characters and urban terrain of her novella "Contact Sports," from Traplines.
Reviewers praise Robinson's unflinching and compelling exploration of the darkest impulses of humanity. She is a recipient of the University of Victoria's Distinguished Alumni Award. Her sister, Carla Robinson
, is a Canadian television journalist at CBC Newsworld
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
novelist and short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer.
Born in Kitamaat
Kitimat, British Columbia
Kitimat is a coastal city in northwestern British Columbia, in the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine. The Kitimat Valley, which includes the adjacent community of Terrace, is the most populous urban district in Northwest British Columbia...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, she is a member of the Haisla
Haisla
The Haisla are an indigenous people living at Kitamaat in the North Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their indigenous Haisla language is named after them...
and Heiltsuk
Heiltsuk
The Heiltsuk are an Indigenous First Nations of the Central Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, centred on the island communities of Bella Bella and Klemtu. The government of the Heiltsuk people is the Heiltsuk Nation...
First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
. She was educated at the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
and the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
.
Robinson's critically acclaimed first book, Traplines (1995), was a collection of four longish short stories. The young narrators recount haunting tales of their disturbing relationships with sociopaths and psychopaths. The collection won Britain's Winifred Holtby Prize for the best regional work by a Commonwealth writer. One of the stories, Queen of the North, was also published in the The Penguin Anthology of Stories by Canadian Women
The Penguin Anthology of Stories by Canadian Women
The Peguin Anthology of Stories by Canadian Women is a compilation of 32 short stories by Canadian women selected and edited by the Chinese-Canadian author Denise Chong...
. Another of her short stories, Terminal Avenue, (which was not included in Traplines) was published in the anthology of postcolonial science fiction and fantasy So Long Been Dreaming
So Long Been Dreaming
So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction & Fantasy is an anthology of short stories edited by the writer Nalo Hopkinson and Uppinder Mehan. Hopkinson provides the introduction, although it is usually misattributed to Samuel R...
.
Her second book, Monkey Beach
Monkey Beach
Monkey Beach is Eden Robinson's first novel, published by Vintage Canada in 2000. It was the recipient of the 2001 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, which is given to work by writers from British Columbia....
(2000), was a novel. It is set in Kitamaat territory and follows a teenaged girl's search for answers to and understanding of her younger brother's disappearance at sea while in the retrospective, it tells a story about growing up on a Haisla reserve. The book is both a mystery and a spiritual journey, combining contemporary realism with Haisla mysticism. Monkey Beach was short-listed for the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award, and received the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize
Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize
The Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, established in 1985 as one of the BC Book Prizes, is awarded annually to the best work of fiction by a resident of British Columbia, Canada....
.
In her third book, Blood Sports (2006), also a novel, Eden Robinson returns to the characters and urban terrain of her novella "Contact Sports," from Traplines.
Reviewers praise Robinson's unflinching and compelling exploration of the darkest impulses of humanity. She is a recipient of the University of Victoria's Distinguished Alumni Award. Her sister, Carla Robinson
Carla Robinson
Carla Robinson is a Canadian television journalist for CBC Newsworld.-Biography and education:Robinson was born in Kitimat...
, is a Canadian television journalist at CBC Newsworld
CBC Newsworld
CBC News Network is a Canadian English language Category C specialty news channel owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . It broadcasts into over 10 million homes in Canada. It is the world's third-oldest television service of this nature, after CNN in the United States and...
.
External links
- Eden Robinson's entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia
- An interview called Marchent of Menace on CBC