Nino Ricci
Encyclopedia
Nino Ricci is a Canadian
novelist who lives in Toronto
, Ontario
. He was born in Leamington
, Ontario
to Italian
immigrants, Virginio and Amelia Ricci, from the province of Isernia
, Molise
.
Ricci received a B.A. in English literature from York University
, Toronto in 1981 and a Master's in Creative Writing from Concordia University
, Montreal in 1987. Ricci has travelled in Europe and Africa, where, in Nigeria
, he taught English literature and language in a high school for two years.
Ricci's first novel Lives of the Saints
was a great critical and commercial success. It won the Books in Canada First Novel Award
, the 1990 Governor General's Award for Fiction
and a Betty Trask Award
.
Ricci served as one of the directors of PEN Canada
from 1990-96, and as president during 1995-96. He was the writer-in-residence at the University of Windsor
for the 2005-06 academic year.
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 who lives in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. He was born in Leamington
Leamington, Ontario
Leamington is a municipality in Essex County, southern Ontario, Canada, and has a population of 31,113. It includes Point Pelee, the southernmost point of mainland Canada. It has a large H. J. Heinz Company factory and is known as the "Tomato Capital of Canada", with 4 km² of this crop in the...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
to Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
immigrants, Virginio and Amelia Ricci, from the province of Isernia
Isernia
Isernia Isernia Isernia (Latin: Aesernia or, in Pliny and later writers, Eserninus, or in the Antonine Itinerary, Serni is a town and comune in the central Italian region of Molise, and the capital of Isernia province.- Geography :...
, Molise
Molise
Molise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
.
Ricci received a B.A. in English literature from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, Toronto in 1981 and a Master's in Creative Writing from Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
, Montreal in 1987. Ricci has travelled in Europe and Africa, where, in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, he taught English literature and language in a high school for two years.
Ricci's first novel Lives of the Saints
Lives of the Saints
Lives of the Saints is a novel by Nino Ricci. The author's first book, it forms the first part of a trilogy. The other two novels are In a Glass House and Where She Has Gone...
was a great critical and commercial success. It won the Books in Canada First Novel Award
Books in Canada First Novel Award
The Amazon.ca First Novel Award, formerly the Books in Canada First Novel Award, is a literary award given annually to the best first novel in English published the previous year by a citizen or resident of Canada. It has been awarded since 1976....
, the 1990 Governor General's Award for Fiction
1990 Governor General's Awards
Each winner of the 1990 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit received $10000 and a specially bound edition of his or her book. The winners were selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:Winner:...
and a Betty Trask Award
Betty Trask Award
The Betty Trask Prize and Awards are for first novels written by authors under the age of 35, who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. The awards were established in 1984 by the Society of Authors, at the bequest of the late Betty Trask, a reclusive author of over thirty romance novels...
.
Ricci served as one of the directors of PEN Canada
PEN Canada
PEN Canada is one of the 144 centres of International PEN. Founded in 1926, it has a membership of over 1,000 writers and supporters who campaign on behalf of writers around the world who are persecuted, imprisoned and exiled for exercising their right to freedom of expression.Since its founding,...
from 1990-96, and as president during 1995-96. He was the writer-in-residence at the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
for the 2005-06 academic year.
Awards and nominations
- 1990 Governor General's Award for Fiction for Lives of the SaintsLives of the SaintsLives of the Saints is a novel by Nino Ricci. The author's first book, it forms the first part of a trilogy. The other two novels are In a Glass House and Where She Has Gone...
- 1990 Books in Canada First Novel Award for Lives of the SaintsLives of the SaintsLives of the Saints is a novel by Nino Ricci. The author's first book, it forms the first part of a trilogy. The other two novels are In a Glass House and Where She Has Gone...
- 1997 Giller Prize (shortlist for Where She Has Gone)
- 2002 Trillium Book Award (co-winner for Testament)
- 2006 Alistair MacLeod Award for Literary Achievement
- 2008 Giller Prize (longlist for The Origin of Species)
- 2008 Governor General's Award for Fiction for The Origin of Species
- 2011 Member of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
Novels
- Lives of the SaintsLives of the SaintsLives of the Saints is a novel by Nino Ricci. The author's first book, it forms the first part of a trilogy. The other two novels are In a Glass House and Where She Has Gone...
(1990) (inspiration for a TV miniseries directed by Jerry CiccorittiJerry CiccorittiJerry Ciccoritti is a Canadian film, television and theatre director. His ability to work in a number of genres and for many mediums has made him one of the most successful directors in the country.- Biography :...
) - In a Glass House (1993)
- Where She Has Gone (1997)
- Testament (2002)
- The Origin of Species (2008)
Non-Fiction
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau (biography) (2009)
- Roots and Frontiers (essays and memoir) (2003)