W. D. Valgardson

Who is W. D. Valgardson?

William Dempsey Valgardson is a Canadian novelist, short story writer, and poet. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Gimli, Manitoba, he completed his BA at United College, BEd at the University of Manitoba, and his MFA at the University of Iowa. He was a long-time professor of writing at the University of Victoria in British Columbia and a professor of English at Cottey College in Nevada, MO.

His writing often focuses on cultural differences and involve irony and symbolism. His short stories involve normal people in normal situations, yet under certain circumstances, lead unusual and surprising lives.

Valgardson has won numerous awards and accolades including the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize for The Girl With the Botticelli Face and the Books in Canada First Novel Award for Gentle Sinners. His short story, "Bloodflowers", was included in Best American Short Stories 1971.