Shelley A. Leedahl was born in Kyle, Saskatchewan of April 2, 1963 and moved to Ladysmith in April of 2014.

Leedahl is a full-time literary and commercial writer. She writes dozens of book reviews each year, presents across the country, produces audiobooks, and has a 3-season literary podcast titled "Something Like Love," which features her work in various genres plus original music. Her work is frequently anthologized. Please see: https://www.writersunion.ca/member/shelleya-leedahl

Recent books include I Wasn't Always Like This (essays, Signature Editions, Winnipeg); Listen, Honey (short stories, DC Books, Montreal); Wretched Beast (poetry, BuschekBooks, Ottawa); and The House of the Easily Amused (poetry, Oolichan Books, Lantzville, BC). Her writing has been anthologized in Great Canadian Murder and Mystery Stories (Quarry Press)and The Best Canadian Poetry in English, 2013 (Tightrope Books). She leads creative writing workshops and works as an editor, manuscript evaluator, book reviewer and freelancer. In 2009 she was a Fellow at Fundacion Valparaiso, in Mojacar, Almeria, Spain. In 2006 she was awarded both the Wallace Stegner Grant for the Arts (Eastend, SK) and a Fellowship to attend the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences in Georgia (US). In 2004 she was a Fellow at the Hawthornden Castle International Retreat for Writers (Scotland) and in 2002/2003 she was one of five Canadian writers selected for the Canada-Mexico Writing/Photography Exchange in Merida (Mexico) and Banff. Other career highlights include participation in the Labrador Creative Writing Festival, and having her children's book, The Bone Talker selected for a White Ravens designation and publication in Braille. She has thrice been shortlisted for the National CBC Radio Literary Awards (Poetry Category).

BOOKS:

Go (Poetry, Radiant Press, 2022)

The Moon Watched It All (Children's Illustrated, Red Deer Press, 2019)

I Wasn't Always Like This (Essay Collection, Signature Editions, 2014)

Listen, Honey (Stories, DC Books, 2012)

Wretched Beast (Poetry, BuschekBooks, 2011)

Riding Planet Earth (Juvenile Novel, Phoenix Books, 4th printing 2010; Thistledown Press 2006; Roussan Publishers Inc. 1998, 1997)

The House of the Easily Amused (Poetry, Oolichan Books, 2008)

The Bone Talker (Illustrated Children's Book, Illus: Bill Slavin, Fitzhenry & Whiteside (softcover) 2005; Red Deer Press (hardcover) 1999

Orchestra of the Lost Steps (Stories, Thistledown Press, 2004)

Talking Down The Northern Lights (Poetry, Thistledown Press) 2nd Printing 2002, 2001

Tell Me Everything (Novel, Coteau Books, 2000)

Sky Kickers (Stories, Thistledown Press, 1994)

A Few Words For January (Poetry, Thistledown Press) 3rd Printing 1997, 2nd Printing 1990, 1990

LITERARY AWARDS:

Shortlisted for Arc: Canada's National Poetry Magazine's "Poem of the Year" Contest 2013, 3 poems shortlisted in 2009 (and won an Editor's Choice Award)

Shortlisted for 2012 Relit Award Wretched Beast

Poetry suite "Wretched Beast" shortlisted for National CBC Radio Literary Competition, 2009

2nd Place, Literary Nonfiction Category; SK Writers Guild (SWG) Literary Awards, 2009

3rd Place, John V. Hicks Manuscript Award for poetry manuscript, "The Blue Notebook," 2008

Poetry suite "The Blue Notebook" shortlisted for CBC Radio Literary Competition, 2007

Wallace Stegner Grant for the Arts 2007

1st Place, Literary Nonfiction Category; 1st Place, Children's Literature Category; Honorable Mention, Literary Nonfiction Category, SK Writers Guild (SWG) Literary Awards, 2006

Shorlisted for 2005 ReLit Awards Orchestra of the Lost Steps

2nd Place, Poetry Category; 3rd Place, Literary Nonfiction Category, SWG Literary Awards, 2005

Poetry suite "Snow So Barely There: Banff Poems" shortlisted for CBC Radio Literary Awards, 2004

Orchestra of the Lost Steps, 2004 Saskatchewan Book Award Nominations: Book of the Year, Saskatoon Book Award, Fiction, Award for Publishing •

Winner, John V. Hicks Manuscript Award, for short fiction collection Orchestra of the Lost Steps 2001

3rd Place & Honorable Mention, Children's Literature, SWG Literary Awards, 2004

Talking Down The Northern Lights, 2001 Saskatchewan Book Award Nominations: Poetry, Saskatoon Book Award • Finalist, John Hicks Manuscript Competition, 2000

The Bone Talker, 2001 Rocky Mountain Book Award, Alberta • Winner of Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year, 2001, Children's Literature, (United States)

1999 Saskatchewan Book Award Nominations: Book of the Year, Children's Literature; Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, Starred Selection; Alberta Book Illustration of the Year; Alberta Trade Title of the Year Nomination; CLA Children's Book of the Year Nomination; Canadian Booksellers Association Illustrator of the Year Award Nomination

Poems "At the Lake" & "New Year's Eve" Finalists, League of Canadian Poets' Contest, 2000

First Pace, People's Poem Summer Contest for "Dust Storm, May 4th, 1998" 2000

Riding Planet Earth Nominated for Aurora Award, 1998, Our Choice Award, Canadian Children's Book Centre

Canadian Author's Okanagan Short Story Award, 1998

Third Place, Poetry Category, Sterling Writing Awards, 1997

First Place, Prose Poem Category, 1996 Short Grain Competition

Major Award, Short Fiction, SWG Literary Competition 1995

Major Award, Nonfiction, SWG Literary Competition 1994

Major Award, Poetry, SWG Literary Competition 1993

Major Award, Short Fiction, SWG Literary Competition 1992

Finalist, League Of Canadian Poets 4th Annual National Poetry Contest 1991

Winner, Canadian Church Press Award Of Excellence For Poetry 1991

[BCBW 2022]