SASKATOON — Growing up in rural Saskatchewan inspired Anthony Bidulka to become a writer and tell the stories of underrepresented people and places. He was born in Prud'homme, a rural farming village about 40 minutes east of Saskatoon.
“Ours is a tiny community. My high school graduating class was six people. In the days of three TV stations and no internet, there weren’t many opportunities to know the world and hope there was a place in it for me,” Bidulka, who recently released his latest book, Home Fires Burn, told SaskToday
“On the other hand, it was a beautiful, tranquil and safe place to grow up. For a long time, I wavered between never wanting to leave and feeling the need to leave. Looking at my body of work, one can easily see the huge influence of my upbringing.”
His books have been shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, the Saskatchewan Book Awards, the ReLit award, and the Lambda Literary Awards. Flight of Aquavit, his second book, was awarded the Lambda Literary Award for Best Men’s Mystery after writing full time in 2001.
That award made him the first Canadian to win in that category. In 2023, Going Beautiful, won an Independent Publisher Book Award being named Gold Medalist as the 2023 Canada West Best Overall Fiction novel and received the Writers of Canada Award of Excellence as Canada’s Best Crime Novel for 2023, aside from being shortlisted for a Saskatchewan Book Award and Alberta Book Publishing Award.
He added that he has dedicated his writing career to giving a platform to the voices of underrepresented people and highlighting underrepresented places in an accessible and entertaining way—just as he experienced growing up in rural Saskatchewan.
Despite dreaming of becoming an author since he first learned to put his thoughts to paper, his career took a different path. Not seeing himself as a farmer, and with the support of his parents, he pursued higher education.
“As a boy growing up where and when I did, there were no role models. I knew no writers, and writing for a living was a dream, not a career. Had I been a braver young man, I might have pursued it,” said Bidulka.
“I ended up with three degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, then earned my [Certified Public Accountant] designation. I worked as a CPA with Ernst & Young for a decade before finally leaping to pursue writing.”
Finally entering the world he had long dreamt of, Bidulka said he is thankful for his family’s support. They have always been in the front row at his book launches, and he is grateful for their presence.
He said crime stories and related topics have always been his passion. The first manuscript he submitted for publication was a serious literary novel, but it was a mystery—set in Saskatchewan—that caught publishers’ attention.
“It was a genre I enjoyed in every format, be it books, TV shows or movies. As it turned out, it was the mystery novel that received all of the attention, and the literary novel still sits in a drawer,” he added.
“One of the most important pieces of advice I give new writers is this: be open to the possibility that the type of writer you thought you were going to be may be different than the type of writer you were meant to be.”
He said being a CPA helped when it comes to writing novels, as he is detail-oriented and organized—though he sometimes struggles to balance the mystery with character development.
“I write detailed outlines of the story and the characters involved. I like to know where the story begins and ends, as well as a few key points in between. But organization shouldn’t come at the expense of flexibility and creativity,” added Bidulka.
“When I write, I allow myself the freedom to veer off the path to see where the story might take me in between those key points. I have found over the years that it is in those unplanned moments where creativity blossoms and some of the best writing happens.”
Getting his first publishing contract and seeing his first printed book was a major moment in his life—and even 20 years later, the feeling remains the same.
He considers Going to Beautiful one of his greatest achievements. The book won Best Crime Novel in 2023 and gave him the opportunity to tell stories about underrepresented people—including the LGBTQ+ community, Ukrainians and older lead characters—and places, notably Saskatchewan.
He said he is proud to play even a small role in that.
Bidulka’s message to aspiring writers: “If you ask 20 writers how they became published, you’ll likely get 20 different answers. The bad news is also the good news: there is no single sure-fire way to get published. Just keep at it and find your way.”
