A Fitting Tribute to an Extraordinary Man: the Ralph Hancox Memorial Scholarship

Ralph Hancox,  1929—2017
Portrait by Patrick Fitzgerald

With the support of Simon Fraser University, the family of Ralph Hancox has established a Memorial Scholarship in Ralph Hancox's name. A scholarship fund for students in the Master of Publishing Program will be established to honour Ralph’s commitment to the publishing industry and his dedication to his students at Simon Fraser University’s Master in Publishing Program. The purpose of the scholarship will be to support a master’s student education recognizing that Ralph valued education, writing and a wondering mind and his students who demonstrated these qualities.

Ralph joined the SFU staff and worked as Adjunct Professor in the late 1990’s. He worked with Anne Cowan-Buitenaus and Rowland Lorimer in the newly established Master of Publishing Program. Ralph served as Adjunct Professor and Professional Fellow Emeritus at Simon Fraser University where he published a textbook on ‘Managing the Publishing Process’ for the Canadian Center for Studies in Publishing. There, he was honored with the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Service for 10 years of teaching before he retired again at the age of 80, in 2009.

For more information or to contribute to the Ralph Hancox Memorial Scholarship, click here.

Ralph recently published three works of fiction with Fictive Press: his crime duology, Con Job and Scandalous, and his novel of social commentary, The Ape & the Peacock.

R.I.P. Ralph Hancox: A Great Loss

Ralph Hancox: 1929-2017

I am very sad to announce the passing of my dear friend and Fictive Press author Ralph Hancox. Beyond his remarkable lifetime achievements and brilliance, Ralph was an extraordinary individual—charming, funny, thoughtful and compassionate. Many have benefited from his kindness and interest—and I was fortunate enough to be one of them. He took a chance on me when I was young and virtually unskilled and offered me my first first real job, as his administrative assistant in the Reader's Digest book department in Montreal. This effectively launched my decade-long association with the Digest and my subsequent business-writing career. In the last two years, I had the privilege of working with Ralph again, this time as his editor and publisher of his three novels: Con Job, Scandalous and The Ape & the Peacock. I shall miss him greatly.

Five-Star Review of The Ape & the Peacock

Thank you Neil of Devon, England, for your 5-star review of Ralph Hancox's The Ape & the Peacock. Always a delight when someone gets and appreciates what the author is trying to do.

"I loved this book. Although set in parochial Canada, the themes are universal. The author's sense of social indignation and his distaste for political hypocrisy are the background to two juxtaposed story lines, but the characterisations and the story-telling are sure-footed and the two extremes of the same world are skilfully contrasted. Above all, the book is well written and with a delightfully wry humour." SNM. Devon, England