Mireille Silcoff

Mireille Silcoff (born February 1, 1973 in Montreal) is a Canadian writer and editor. She is the author of four books, including the award-winning work of fiction Chez L'arabe (Anansi). Silcoff is a longstanding columnist with the National Post,^[1] and a contributor to publications including The New York Times Magazine. She is the founding editor of Guilt & Pleasure Quarterly, "a magazine of new Jewish writing and ideas" (2005-2007) and the founder of a Toronto-based discussion salon^[2] (2004-2006) connected to that magazine.^[3] In 2006, Silcoff stepped away from all journalism, magazine work and public appearances after developing the rare neurological syndrome, Chronic Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks.^[4] After years of being entirely bedridden,^[5] she began writing again for the National Post in 2010 and for the New York Times Magazine in 2011. The partially autobiographical ^[6] Chez L'arabe describes her cloistered world of severe illness.^[7]

From the age of 19 to 24, Silcoff was a music journalist specializing in nightclub culture. Up until 2001, she wrote and published under the pen name Mireille Silcott, including the books Rave America (ECW Press, 1998), and The Book of E (Omnibus Press, 2000, co-authored with Push).

Chez L'arabe

The short story collection Chez L'arabe was named one of The Globe 100: The best books of 2014 by The Globe and Mail.^[8] Reviews were stellar throughout Canada and the world.^{[9][10][11][12]} It was named one of the best books of the year by The Montreal Gazette, CBC Books, The Walrus and others.^[13][14] Its prizes include the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for Short Story Collection,^[15] second prize for the Danuta Gleed Award for the Short Story^[16] and being long-listed for the Frank O'Connor International Prize for the Short Story.^[17] Chez L'arabe was voted Canada's favorite short story collection of 2014 on CBC Canada Writes.^[18] It will come out in French translation in the fall of 2016 (published by Marchand de Feuilles). Individual short stories from the collection were published on Electric Literature^[19] and Five Dials.^[20]

References

1. "Mireille Silcoff | National Post". National Post. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
2. "Please people, smaller party food. And ix-nay on the juice bars". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
3. "For Jews, a guilt trip worth taking". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
4. "Mireille Silcoff: How I wrote Chez l'arabe". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
5. "Mireille Silcoff on The Next Chapter". CBC Player. 2015-01-21. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
6. http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2649208816
7. "Chez l'arabe brilliantly depicts a world of largely cloistered lives". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
8. "The Globe 100: The best books of 2014". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
9. "Chez L'Arabe | Quill And Quire". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
10. "Severely ill Jewish Canadian finds the write way to health". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
11. "Off the Shelf: Mind Field". NUVO Magazine. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
12. "Short Stories That Are Sick | Hazlitt". Hazlitt. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
13. "Books of the Year - CNQ". CNQ. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
14. "CHEZ L'ARABE by Mireille Silcoff | Emily Donaldson". emilydonaldson.com. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
15. "Canadian Jewish Literary Awards". www.cjlawards.ca. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
16. "Danuta Gleed Short List | The Writers' Union of Canada". www.writersunion.ca. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
17. Irel, Short Story (2015-04-29). "Frank O'Connor Longlist 2015 Announced". Short Story Ireland. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
18. "Chez L'arabe". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
19. ""Champ de Mars" by Mireille Silcoff, recommended by House of Anansi Press". Electric Literature. 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
20. "Five Dials No. 15". Issuu. Retrieved 2016-04-26.