Julya Rabinowich

Julya Rabinowich (; born 1970 in Leningrad, (now Saint Petersburg, Russia) is an Austrian author, playwright, painter and translator. In 1977 her family emigrated to Vienna, a move in which she describes herself as having been “uprooted and re-potted.”

Life Rabinowich is the daughter of artist and designer Boris Rabinowich (1938–1988) and artist Nina Werzhbinskaja-Rabinowich who, with their family, emigrated from the Soviet Union to Vienna in December 1977. Rabinowich has a daughter, born in 1995.

From 1993–1996, Rabinowich studied at the University of Vienna to become a translator, following which she took additional courses in psychotherapy. Accepted at the University of Applied Arts Vienna in 1998, Rabinowich continued her studies with a focus on Fine Arts (painting) and philosophy, receiving her diploma in 2006. Both centres are engaged in welcoming, aiding and integrating asylum seekers, refugees and migrants to Austria.

Rabinowich is a regular columnist for Der Standard, contributing weekly columns under the title “Geschüttelt, nicht Gerührt” (Shaken, not Stirred) since March 2012, wherein she addresses current issues. Despite her frequent use of these themes, she rails against having her literary works categorized as “migration literature,” finding the term derogatory and “downright racist.”

In describing her relationship between her work as an artist and as an author, Rabinowich says, “I am a very visual person. I write what I see. I used to write with colours, now with words.”

In 2013, Rabinowich moderated an art installation at the Jewish Museum Vienna showcasing the works of her father, Boris Rabinowich. Rabinowich lives and works an author, dramatist and painter in Vienna. Spaltkopf was awarded the prestigious 2009 Rauris Literature Prize. In 2011, Spaltkopf was translated by Tess Lewis from the German into English with the title Splithead.

Theater Productions (commissioned works)

2007: Nach der Grenze, WUK, Wien 2008: Romeo + Julia, Schauspielhaus Wien 2008: Orpheus im Nestroyhof, Theater Nestroyhof Hamakom, Wien 2009: Fluchtarien. Monolog für drei Stimmen und eine Tastatur, Volkstheater, Wien 2010: Stück ohne Juden, Volkstheater, Vienna 2010: Auftauchen. Eine Bestandsaufnahme, Volkstheater, Wien 2014: Tagfinsternis Landestheater Niederösterreich

Novels

Spaltkopf, Deuticke Verlag, Wien 2008, 202 pages, Splithead, Portobello Books, London 2011 – translated from the German Spaltkopf into English by Tess Lewis – Herznovelle, Deuticke Verlag, Wien 2011, 160 page, Die Erdfresserin, Deuticke Verlag, Wien 2012, 235 pages, Krötenliebe, Deuticke Verlag, München 2016, 192 pages, Dazwischen: Ich, Carl Hanser Verlag, München 2016, 256 pages,

Anthology Contributions

Wortbrücken: Das Buch zum Literaturpreis 2003 Anthologie. Stippinger, Christa (Anthologist). edition exil, 2003. 232 pages. Schreibrituale: Eine Anthologie. Wäger, Elisabeth and Horn, Batya (Anthologists). Edition Splitter, 2004. 144 pages. Be-Sitzer, Bilderbuch für Erwachsene. Publikationsreihe Hofmobiliendepot, 2004. Angekommen: Texte nach Wien zugereister Autorinnen und Autoren. Dor, Milo (Anthologist). Picus, 2005. 200 pages. Leidenschafften: Eine Anthologie. Horn, Batya and Baier, Christian (Anthologists). Edition Splitter, 2006. 144 pages. Pedanten und Chaoten: Eine Anthologie. Horn, Batya (Anthologist). Edition Splitter, 2007. 144 pages. Eisfischen: Das Beste aus dem MDR-Literaturwettbewerb. Hametner, Michael (Anthologist). Mitteldeutscher Verlag, 2007. 136 pages. Wienzeilen: Die Interkulturelle Anthologie. Neimann, Fritz and Vasari, Eva (Anthologists) Bibliothek der Provinz, 2009. 136 pages. Schlager & Treffer – Eine Anthologie. Baier, Christian (Anthologist). Edition Splitter, 2010. 176 pages. Well, Come!: Literarische Portraits von jugendlichen Flüchtlingen und ihren PatInnen. Mandelbaum, 2011. 180 pages. How I Loved Jamal. Warnung: Kann Spuren von Vögeln enthalten. Travnicek, Cornelia (Anthologist). Milena Vortrag, 2013. 220 pages. Am Zug: Neue Texts übers Bahnfahren. Residenz Verlag, 2014. 192 pages. Höflichkeit heute zwischen Manieren, Korrektheit und Respekt (Wiener Vorlesungen). Picus Verlag, 2015. 64 pages. Aspects of Growth. Knoechl, Birgit. Verlag für Moderne Kunst, 2015. 102 pages.

Awards

2003 Literaturpreis “schreiben zwischen den Kulturen” 2004 Arbeitsstipendium der Stadt Wien 2006 Stipendium der Wiener Wortstätten 2009 Arbeitsstipendium des BKA 2009 MiA – award 2009 Rauris Literature Prize for Spaltkopf 2010 Elias-Canetti-Stipendium 2011 Shortlist Ingeborg-Bachmann-Preis 2012 Elias-Canetti-Stipendium 2014 Wiener Frauenpreis