Award-winning novelist Nancy Richler has died in Vancouver at the age of 60 following a long battle with cancer.

HarperCollins Canada said in a news release that Richler died Thursday in hospital.

The Montreal-born author spent most of her adult life in British Columbia, where she wrote short fiction and novels.

Iris Tupholme, senior vice-president and executive publisher at HarperCollins, said Richler was an elegant writer whose work resonated with readers in Canada and abroad.

害羞草研究所淪he had an extraordinary ability to see into the human heart to create complex characters who survived war, displacement and loss but who also cherished beauty and kindness and searched for happiness,害羞草研究所� Tupholme said in a statement.

Richler害羞草研究所檚 short stories were published in several American and Canadian literary journals.

She also wrote three novels, the most recent being 害羞草研究所淭he Imposter Bride,害羞草研究所� which was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2012.

HarperCollins said the jury described the book as a 害羞草研究所渨onderfully nuanced work of fiction by a master of the craft.害羞草研究所�

Richler害羞草研究所檚 agent, Dean Cooke, said he will never forget the moment he called her to tell her she害羞草研究所檇 been shortlisted for the prize.

害羞草研究所淪he was washing her floor and acknowledged the call but told me she really had to get back to the cleaning. It was only later that she fully understood the import of that moment,害羞草研究所� he said in a statement.

害羞草研究所淣ancy害羞草研究所檚 work was crucial to the development and success of my agency in the early years, but more importantly, I valued her friendship beyond measure. She was a beautiful writer and a more beautiful person.害羞草研究所�

Richler won the 2003 Canadian Jewish Book Award for Fiction for her book 害羞草研究所淵our Mouth Is Lovely,害羞草研究所� and the 1997 Arthur Ellis Award for the crime novel 害羞草研究所淭hrowaway Angels.害羞草研究所�

She is survived by her partner Vicki Trerise, her sister, and a brother.

The Canadian Press

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