Anthony Bidulka has enjoyed time well-spent and misspent in the worlds of academia, accounting, footwear, food services and farming. In 1999 Anthony Bidulka, BA, BEd, BComm, CA left a decade long career as a Chartered Accountant to pursue writing.

 

In 2003, Quill & Quire described Amuse Bouche: A Russell Quant Mystery, as “…an effervescent first novel that is much like the tasty French hors d’oeuvres from which it takes its name”, earning Bidulka a nomination for the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award.

 

With sharp writing, descriptive flair and wry humour, Bidulka’s mystery series tells the story of the first, and perhaps only, half-Ukrainian, half-Irish, gay, ex-farmboy, ex-cop, Canadian, Saskatchewan, prairie, world-travelling private detective being written about today anywhere.

 

The Russell Quant series has been nominated for a Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award, Saskatchewan Book Awards, a ReLit award and Flight of Aquavit was awarded the Lambda Literary Award for Best Men’s Mystery, making Bidulka the first Canadian to win in that category.

 

New York’s Mystery Scene Magazine proclaimed: “Quant makes for a riveting hero…the kind of friend you want to have—unless you’re a killer.” From the StarPhoenix: "Truly amazing is Bidulka’s sense of sights, sounds and smells. Like a good journalist, he gives exquisitely detailed descriptions of the settings and provides history lessons...” And Sherbrooke Record said: “...Bidulka brings a fresh voice to Canadian crime fiction, with a sense of humour that is often outrageous and always original; he provides his readers with a cleverly-crafted tale full of twists and turns, and challenges readers to broaden their perspectives.”

 

Like his protagonist, Anthony lives a big life in a small city on the Canadian prairie. He also loves to travel the world—meeting people, sampling food and wine, walking sun-drenched streets, making good use of swim-up bars, and being awed.

Anthony has toured extensively in both Canada and the United States. A great believer in community involvement, he has sat on many boards and committees including those of Persephone Theatre, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, AIDS Saskatoon, the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, the International Association of Crime Writers, Crime Writers of Canada, and he is co-founder of Camp fYrefly Saskatchewan (a lifeskills camp for GLBT youth). In 2011, Anthony was added to the College of Education Wall of Honour at the University of Saskatchewan.

He lives in Saskatoon where he is at work on his next novel.

Long Bio

Q & A

 

Some Favourite Books	Some Favourite Authors
Set Sail for Murder - Carolyn Hart	David Baldacci
The Joining of Dingo Radish - Rob Harasymchuk	Gail Bowen
The Burning Plain - Michael Nava	Alex Brett
Bucket Nuts - Liza Cody	Vicki Delany
Delicious - Mark Haskell Smith	Katherine V Forrest
1st Impressions - Kate Calloway	Sue Grafton
My Best Man - Andy Schell	Lyn Hamilton
Vie de France - James Haller	Rob Harasymchuk
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith	Ellen Hart
Moth and Flame - John Morgan Wilson	Greg Herren
The Winner - David Baldacci	Mary Jane Maffini
Healthy Wealthy & Dead - Suzanne North	Armistead Maupin
Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin	Michael Nava
Last Summer - Michael Thomas Ford	Robert B Parker
Tomcat - Thom Racina	Ross Pennie
Polgara - David and Leigh Eddings	Louise Penny
Looking for Brothers - Michael Rowe	Kathy Reichs
Posted to Death - Dean James	Steven Saylor
Plum Island - Nelson DeMille	David Sedaris
	Alexander McCall Smith
	Robert Taylor
	Gary Zebrun

 

Awards, Recognition, Accomplishments

1983 - Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree (with distinction); University of Saskatchewan

1991 - Bachelor of Education (BEd); University of Saskatchewan

1991 - Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) (with distinction); University of Saskatchewan

1993 - Qualified for Chartered Accountant (CA) designation

2003 - Shortlisted for Arthur Ellis Award (Amuse Bouche)

2003 - Shortlisted for ReLit Award (Amuse Bouche)

2004 - Shortlisted for Saskatchewan Book Award (Flight of Aquavit)

2004 - Lambda Literary Award (Flight of Aquavit)

2005 - Shortlisted for Saskatchewan Book Award (Tapas on the Ramblas)

2006 - Cover of Planet S Magazine

2007 - Shortlisted for Lambda Literary Award (Stain of the Berry)

2007 - Shortlisted for Saskatchewan Book Award (Stain of the Berry)

2008 - Shortlisted for Lambda Literary Award (Sundowner Ubuntu)

2009 - Avenue Community Centre Community Service Award

2009 - Cover of Acreage Life Magazine

2009 - Shortlisted for Saskatchewan Book Award (Aloha, Candy Hearts)

2010 - Shortlisted for Arthur Ellis Award (Aloha, Candy Hearts)

2010 - Rainbow Award for Best Mystery/Thriller (Date With a Sheesha)

2010 - McNally Robinson Saskatoon #1 Fiction Bestseller (Date With a Sheesha)

2011 - Named American Library Association GLBT Round Table Over The Rainbow - Top Mystery  (Aloha, Candy Hearts)

2011 - Named American Library Association GLBT Round Table Over The Rainbow - Top Mystery  (Date With a Sheesha)

2011 - Inducted onto Wall of Honour, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan