David Martin works as a literacy instructor in Calgary and also as an organizer for the Single Onion Poetry Series. His first collection, Tar Swan (NeWest Press, 2018), was a finalist for the Raymond Souster Award and the City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize. His second collection, Kink Bands (NeWest Press, 2023), was shortlisted for the Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry from the BPAA, and also shortlisted for the Banff Mountain Book Competition. His most recent book, Limited Verse, was published by the University of Calgary Press in 2024 and was shortlisted for the City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize. As well, David’s work has been awarded the CBC Poetry Prize, and has been shortlisted for prizes from FreeFall, Vallum, PRISM international, and the Alberta Magazine Awards. In 2023, he was named a “Writer to Watch” by CBC Books, and recently his work was included in Best Canadian Poetry 2025 (Biblioasis). His latest collection, nightstead, was published by Palimpsest Press in 2026.