Cynthia Rimsky


Cynthia Clara Rimsky Mitnik is a Chilean writer and academic currently living in Argentina.
She published her debut novel, Poste restante, in 2001. In 2024, Rimsky won the Herralde Prize for her novel Clara y confusa, becoming the first Chilean woman to receive this award.
Her work spans travelogue, autobiography, autofiction, and essays.

Education and career

Born in Santiago, Rimsky graduated with a degree in journalism in 1984. That same year, she completed an internship at the newspaper El Mercurio [de Valparaíso|El Mercurio] in Valparaíso, where she later settled.
In 2001, she published her debut novel, Poste restante, inspired by her journey through Europe after discovering her family’s photo album at a flea market in Santiago.
In 2017, Rimsky won both the Santiago [Municipal Literature Award] and the Prize for Best Published Literary Works for her novel El futuro es un lugar extraño. In 2023, she received the Prize for Best Published Literary Works again, this time for her novel Yomurí.
In May 2024, Forbes magazine recognized Rimsky as one of the 50 most creative Chileans. In November of that year, she won the Herralde Prize for Novel alongside Xita Rubert for her book Clara y confusa, becoming the first Chilean woman and the second person from Chile, after Roberto Bolaño, to receive this award.
Rimsky's work has been described as "travel literature," blending elements of travel chronicle, autobiography, autofiction, and essay.

Works