Harley Rustad is a Canadian journalist, magazine editor, and author of Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas[1] and Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees.[2]

Harley Rustad
Born1985
NationalityCanadian
Websitehttps://www.harleyrustad.com

Early life edit

Rustad was born on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada, where he spent the first few months of his life in a tent while his parents built their home.[2] He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Journalism career edit

Rustad has been an editor and writer at The Walrus, a Canadian general interest magazine, since 2014.[3] His writing has appeared in publications including Outside, The Walrus, The Globe and Mail, Geographical, The Guardian, and CNN. He is a faculty editor at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Mountain and Wilderness Writing Residency.[4]

Big Lonely Doug edit

His first book, Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees,[2] a nonfiction book published in 2018 is about the second-largest Douglas fir in Canada that was a saved by a logger who wrapped green LEAVE TREE ribbon around its trunk, and the fight to protect old-growth forests in British Columbia. The tree, Big Lonely Doug, is growing in the middle of a clear cut near Port Renfrew, British Columbia. The book started as a magazine article in The Walrus.[5] The book was nominated for the 2018 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing,[6] the 2019 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize,[7] and the 2018 Banff Mountain Book Competition.[8]

Lost in the Valley of Death edit

His second book, Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas,[1][9] was published in 2022 and investigates the 2016 disappearance of Justin Alexander Shetler in the Parvati Valley, India. It was nominated for a 2022 Banff Mountain Book Award[10] and a Crime Writers of Canada Award,[11] was a Canadian bestseller,[12] and appeared on the cover of the February 13, 2022, New York Times Book Review.[1] Lost in the Valley of Death won two awards at the 2023 Poland Mountain Book Awards[13] and a 2023 US Religion News Association Award.[14]

Awards and honors edit

  • 2023 Mountain Literature Awards, Poland (winner non-fiction category and winner Grand Prix) for Lost in the Valley of Death, Polish translation[15]
  • 2023 Religion News Association Award (winner) for Lost in the Valley of Death[16]
  • 2023 Crime Writers of Canada Award (finalist) for Lost in the Valley of Death[17]
  • 2022 Banff Mountain Book Award (finalist) for Lost in the Valley of Death[18]
  • 2022 CBC Best Canadian Non-fiction Books of the Year for Lost in the Valley of Death[19]
  • 2018 Globe and Mail Best Books of the Year for Big Lonely Doug[20]
  • 2018 CBC Best Canadian Non-fiction Books of the Year for Big Lonely Doug[21]
  • 2018 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing (finalist) for Big Lonely Doug[22]
  • 2018 Banff Mountain Book Award (finalist) for Big Lonely Doug[23]
  • 2019 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize (finalist) for Big Lonely Doug[24]
  • 2016 National Magazine Award (silver) "Big Lonely Doug" published in The Walrus.[25]
  • 2015 National Magazine Award (honourable mention) for "Where the Streets Have No Names" published in The Walrus[26]

Bibliography edit

  • Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees. House of Anansi Press. 2018. ISBN 978-1487003111
  • Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas. Harper. 2022. ISBN 978-0062965967

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Paterniti, Michael (January 21, 2022). "Seeking Enlightenment, He Disappeared Into a Hiker's Bermuda Triangle". New York Times.
  2. ^ a b c Lederman, Marsha (August 21, 2018). "Meet Doug: B.C.'s biggest celebri-tree". Globe and Mail.
  3. ^ Medley, Mark (May 19, 2017). "In wake of cultural appropriation debate, who will take helm of The Walrus?". Globe and Mail.
  4. ^ "Mountain and Wilderness Writing". www.banffcentre.ca.
  5. ^ Rustad, Harley (September 19, 2016). "Big Lonely Doug". The Walrus.
  6. ^ "Books about masculinity, energy projects among Shaughnessy Cohen Prize finalists". Globe and Mail. April 3, 2019.
  7. ^ "BC Yukon Book Prizes Winners and Finalists". BC Yukon Book Prizes.
  8. ^ "Banff Mountain Book Competition Announces 2018 Finalists". Rock and Ice. September 10, 2018.
  9. ^ LOST IN THE VALLEY OF DEATH | Kirkus Reviews.
  10. ^ "Banff Mountain Book Competition Categories Announced Climbing Book Lovers Take Note". Gripped.
  11. ^ "Crime Writers of Canada".
  12. ^ "The bestselling Canadian books for the week of Feb. 6-12, 2022". CBC. February 15, 2022.
  13. ^ "Festiwal Literatury Górskiej". Festiwal Górskiej.
  14. ^ "2023 Religion News Association Awards".
  15. ^ "Festiwal Literatury Górskiej". Festiwal Górskiej.
  16. ^ "2023 Religion News Association Awards".
  17. ^ "Crime Writers of Canada".
  18. ^ "Banff Mountain Book Competition Categories Announced Climbing Book Lovers Take Note". Gripped.
  19. ^ "The best Canadian nonfiction of 2022".
  20. ^ "The Globe 100: Our favourite books of 2018". Globe and Mail.
  21. ^ "The best Canadian nonfiction of 2018". CBC.
  22. ^ "Books about masculinity, energy projects among Shaughnessy Cohen Prize finalists". Globe and Mail. April 3, 2019.
  23. ^ "Banff Mountain Book Competition Announces 2018 Finalists". Rock and Ice. September 10, 2018.
  24. ^ "BC Yukon Book Prizes Winners and Finalists". BC Yukon Book Prizes.
  25. ^ "Announcing the winners of the 40th Anniversary National Magazine Awards". National Magazine Awards.
  26. ^ "The Walrus Awards". The Walrus.