W. D. Valgardson

W. D. Valgardson
Born7 May 1939 (1939-05-07) (age 85)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Occupation(s)Novelist, short story writer, poet
Notable workBloodflowers: Ten Stories (1973)

William Dempsey Valgardson (born 7 May 1939) is an Icelandic-Canadian fiction writer and poet.[1] He was a long-time professor of writing at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.[1]

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

Valgardson has won numerous awards and accolades including the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize for The Girl With the Botticelli Face (1992) and the Books in Canada First Novel Award for Gentle Sinners (1980).[2] His short story "Bloodflowers" was included in Best American Short Stories 1971, while "Trees" is listed in the 1977 issue of Best Canadian Stories.

  1. ^ a b Boyd, Colin (2013-12-16). "William Dempsey Valgardson". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  2. ^ Pat Barclay, "Gentle Sinners, by W. D. Valgardson". Victoria Times-Colonist, April 17, 1981.