# Harley Rustad

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{{Short description|Canadian writer}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Harley Rustad
| birth_date         = 1985
| website            = https://www.harleyrustad.com
}}

'''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''<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Paterniti |first=Michael |date=January 21, 2022 |title=Seeking Enlightenment, He Disappeared Into a Hiker's Bermuda Triangle |work=New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/21/books/review/lost-in-the-valley-of-death-harley-rustad.html}}</ref> and ''Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada's Last Great Trees.''<ref name=":0" />
== Early life ==
Rustad was born on [Salt Spring Island](/source/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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Lederman |first=Marsha |date=August 21, 2018 |title=Meet Doug: B.C.'s biggest celebri-tree |work=Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/article-meet-doug-bcs-biggest-celebri-tree/}}</ref> He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

== Journalism career ==
Rustad has been an editor and writer at [The Walrus](/source/The_Walrus), a Canadian general interest magazine, since 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Medley |first=Mark |date=May 19, 2017 |title=In wake of cultural appropriation debate, who will take helm of The Walrus? |work=Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/whats-next-for-the-walrus-and-canadian-media/article35057750/}}</ref> His writing has appeared in publications including ''[Outside](/source/Outside_(magazine))'', ''[The Walrus](/source/The_Walrus)'', ''[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)'', ''[Geographical](/source/Geographical_(magazine))'', ''[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)'', and [CNN](/source/CNN). He is a faculty editor at the [Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity](/source/Banff_Centre_for_Arts_and_Creativity)'s Mountain and Wilderness Writing Residency.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/mountain-and-wilderness-writing|title=Mountain and Wilderness Writing|website=www.banffcentre.ca|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214125433/https://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/mountain-and-wilderness-writing|archive-date=2016-02-14}}</ref> He was awarded Editor Grand Prix at the 2024 National Magazine Awards: "Harley Rustad's commitment to tackling in-depth investigations and features stands out. Rustad's contributions to The Walrus have reinforced its position as one of Canada's leading homes for thoughtful, impactful journalism."<ref>{{cite web |title=And the Winners Are… |url=https://magazine-awards.com/en/2024winners/ |publisher=National Magazine Awards}}</ref>

=== Big Lonely Doug ===
His first book, ''Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada's Last Great Trees,''<ref name=":0" /> a nonfiction book published in 2018 is about the second-largest [Douglas fir](/source/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](/source/Big_Lonely_Doug), is growing in the middle of a clear cut near [Port Renfrew](/source/Port_Renfrew), British Columbia. The book started as a magazine article in ''[The Walrus](/source/The_Walrus).''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rustad |first=Harley |date=September 19, 2016 |title=Big Lonely Doug |work=The Walrus |url=https://thewalrus.ca/big-lonely-doug/}}</ref> The book was nominated for the 2018 [Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing](/source/Shaughnessy_Cohen_Prize_for_Political_Writing),<ref name="Globe and Mail">{{Cite news |date=April 3, 2019 |title=Books about masculinity, energy projects among Shaughnessy Cohen Prize finalists |work=Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/article-books-about-masculinity-energy-projects-among-shaughnessy-cohen-prize/}}</ref> the 2019 [Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize](/source/Roderick_Haig-Brown_Regional_Prize),<ref name="bcyukonbookprizes.com">{{Cite web |title=BC Yukon Book Prizes Winners and Finalists |url=https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/winners-finalists/#2019 |website=BC Yukon Book Prizes}}</ref> and the 2018 [Banff Mountain Book Competition](/source/Banff_Mountain_Book_Festival).<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 10, 2018 |title=Banff Mountain Book Competition Announces 2018 Finalists |work=Rock and Ice |url=https://www.rockandice.com/climbing-news/banff-mountain-book-competition-announces-2018-finalists/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723012922/https://www.rockandice.com/climbing-news/banff-mountain-book-competition-announces-2018-finalists/|archive-date=2019-07-23}}</ref>

=== Lost in the Valley of Death ===
His second book, ''Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas,''<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/harley-rustad/lost-in-the-valley-of-death/ |title=LOST IN THE VALLEY OF DEATH {{!}} Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}</ref> was published in 2022 and investigates the 2016 disappearance of Justin Alexander Shetler in the [Parvati Valley](/source/Parvati_Valley), India. It was nominated for a 2022 Banff Mountain Book Award<ref name="gripped.com">{{cite web |title=Banff Mountain Book Competition Categories Announced Climbing Book Lovers Take Note |url=https://gripped.com/uncategorized/banff-mountain-book-competition-categories-announced-climbing-book-lovers-take-note |website=Gripped}}</ref> and a Crime Writers of Canada Award,<ref name="Crime Writers of Canada">{{cite news |title=Crime Writers of Canada |url=https://www.crimewriterscanada.com/awards/annual-awards/shortlists|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120205152/https://www.crimewriterscanada.com/awards/annual-awards/shortlists|archive-date=2023-01-20}}</ref> was a Canadian bestseller,<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 15, 2022 |title=The bestselling Canadian books for the week of Feb. 6-12, 2022 |work=CBC |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-bestselling-canadian-books-for-the-week-of-feb-6-12-2022-1.6351372}}</ref> and appeared on the cover of the February 13, 2022, [New York Times Book Review](/source/The_New_York_Times_Book_Review).<ref name=":1"/> ''Lost in the Valley of Death'' won two awards at the 2023 Poland Mountain Book Awards<ref name="Festiwal Literatury Górskiej">{{cite news |title=Festiwal Literatury Górskiej |url=https://www.festiwalgorski.pl/festiwal-literatury-gorskiej/festiwal-literatury-gorskiej-ladek-zdroj/ |publisher=Festiwal Górskiej}}</ref> and a 2023 US Religion News Association Award.<ref>{{cite news |title=2023 Religion News Association Awards |url=https://rna.org/news/congratulations-to-the-2023-excellence-in-religion-reporting-award-winnersnbsp}}</ref>

== Port Renfrew Writers Retreat ==
In 2019, Rustad founded the Port Renfrew Writers Retreat on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, a non-fiction writers retreat focused on nature writing.<ref>{{cite news |last1=O'Kane |first1=Josh |title=Author Harley Rustad launches new wilderness-focused writers' retreat |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/article-author-harley-rustad-launches-new-wilderness-focused-writers-retreat/ |publisher=Globe and Mail |date=January 25, 2025}}</ref>

== Awards and honours ==
* 2023 Mountain Literature Awards, Poland (winner non-fiction category and winner Grand Prix) for ''Lost in the Valley of Death'', Polish translation<ref name="Festiwal Literatury Górskiej"/>
* 2023 Religion News Association Award (winner) for ''Lost in the Valley of Death''<ref>{{cite news |title=2023 Religion News Association Awards |url=https://rna.org/news/congratulations-to-the-2023-excellence-in-religion-reporting-award-winnersnbsp}}</ref>
* 2023 Crime Writers of Canada Award (finalist) for ''Lost in the Valley of Death''<ref name="Crime Writers of Canada"/>
* 2022 Banff Mountain Book Award (finalist) for ''Lost in the Valley of Death''<ref name="gripped.com"/>
* 2022 [CBC](/source/CBC_News) Best Canadian Non-fiction Books of the Year for ''Lost in the Valley of Death''<ref>{{cite web |title=The best Canadian nonfiction of 2022 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-best-canadian-nonfiction-of-2022-1.6681565}}</ref>
* 2018 [Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail) Best Books of the Year for ''Big Lonely Doug''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Globe 100: Our favourite books of 2018 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/article-the-globe-100-our-favourite-books-of-2018/ |website=Globe and Mail}}</ref>
* 2018 [CBC](/source/CBC_News) Best Canadian Non-fiction Books of the Year for ''Big Lonely Doug''<ref>{{cite web |title=The best Canadian nonfiction of 2018 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-best-canadian-nonfiction-of-2018-1.4932418 |website=CBC}}</ref>
* 2018 [Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing](/source/Shaughnessy_Cohen_Prize_for_Political_Writing) (finalist) for ''Big Lonely Doug''<ref name="Globe and Mail"/>
* 2018 Banff Mountain Book Award (finalist) for ''Big Lonely Doug''<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 10, 2018 |title=Banff Mountain Book Competition Announces 2018 Finalists |work=Rock and Ice |url=https://www.rockandice.com/climbing-news/banff-mountain-book-competition-announces-2018-finalists/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723012922/https://www.rockandice.com/climbing-news/banff-mountain-book-competition-announces-2018-finalists/|archive-date=2019-07-23}}</ref>
* 2019 [Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize](/source/Roderick_Haig-Brown_Regional_Prize) (finalist) for ''Big Lonely Doug''<ref name="bcyukonbookprizes.com"/>
* 2016 [National Magazine Award](/source/National_Magazine_Award_(Canada)) (silver) "Big Lonely Doug" published in ''The Walrus''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Announcing the winners of the 40th Anniversary National Magazine Awards |url=https://magazine-awards.com/en/2017/05/26/announcing-the-winners-of-the-40th-anniversary-national-magazine-awards/ |website=National Magazine Awards}}</ref>
* 2015 [National Magazine Award](/source/National_Magazine_Award_(Canada)) (honourable mention) for "Where the Streets Have No Names" published in ''[The Walrus](/source/The_Walrus)''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Walrus Awards |url=https://thewalrus.ca/about/awards/#2015 |website=The Walrus}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==

* ''Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees.'' [House of Anansi Press](/source/House_of_Anansi_Press). 2018. ISBN 978-1487003111
* ''Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas.'' [Harper](/source/Harper_(publisher)). 2022. ISBN 978-0062965967

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rustad, Harley}}
Category:Canadian magazine journalists
Category:Canadian male non-fiction writers
Category:Canadian nature writers
Category:Canadian travel writers
Category:Writers from British Columbia
Category:Living people
Category:21st-century Canadian journalists
Category:21st-century Canadian male writers
Category:1985 births

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Harley Rustad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_Rustad) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_Rustad?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.