2016 Prime of Life Achievement Award

As author and editor of sixteen volumes, and as teacher, scholar, mentor, and leader of writers’ organizations, David has made a rich and sustained contribution to the Canadian and Saskatchewan literary world. David’s multi-award winning writing ranges across the genre of short story, novella, literary and mystery novel, nature- and life-writing, journalism, essay and poetry.

His preretirement honours include: Saskatchewan Book Award (1997); City of Edmonton Book Prize (1998); and many other nominations. Among his many post-retirement honours are: Saskatchewan Centennial Medal(2005); City of Saskatoon Book Award (2009); Silver Medal for North American Short Fiction; Gold Medal for Canadian Fiction; Canadian Novella Award (2010); Saskatchewan Book of the Year (2011); Cheryl and Henry Kloppenburg Award for Literary Excellence (2015). For his residential school memoir The Education of Augie Merasty, the Toronto Star hailed him as “one of the best people of 2015.”