David’s writing career began in earnest when his story The Welcomin’ won the 1984 Alberta Culture Short Story Competition.

Now the author of 27 books, many for middle readers and young adults, David spends 60 to 80 days a year in classrooms across Canada (and beyond) as a visiting author/presenter.

In 2011 his young adult novel Numbers was selected for the Sakura Medal (awarded by English speaking high school students in Japan to their favourite novel of the year). As a result David toured International Schools in Japan and Korea in the fall of 2011. David’s newest teen/YA novel is And Then the Sky Exploded, a nominee for the 2018 Ontario Library Association’s Red Maple Award.

The UBC Creative Writing alumnus and former Writer in Residence at the Saskatoon Public Library recently made his inaugural foray into the world of adult crime fiction with Serpents Rising, the best-selling first book in the Cullen and Cobb Mystery series. The follow-up novel, Dead Air, hit bookstores in May of 2017 with Last Song Sung, the third title in the popular series, arriving in the spring of 2018. Book 4 in the series—None So Deadly—is slated for a May, 2019 appearance.

““Mr.. Poulsen gave a very animated talk to students revealing both the work and ultimate joy of being a writer.  He kept students engaged from start to finish and shared with students a very important reality: that life is enriched by reading.  He’s welcome back anytime!”
— ... Joanne Melo, Principal, St Bonaventure Catholic School

Published Books by David A Poulsen

  • The Cullen and Cobb Adult Mystery Series including Serpents Rising, Dead Air, Last Song Sung and None So Deadly

  • Numbers - young adult novel - winner of Japan’s Sakura medal

  • Old Man - young adult novel nominated for the White Pine book award

  • Billy And The Bearman - young adult novel Winner of a Choice Award from the Canadian Children's Book Centre and short-listed for the R. Ross Annett Award in Alberta and the Blue Heron Award in Ontario

  • Dream: a collection of short stories that includes the Award-winning The Welcomin

  • Wild Ride: A Look at the lives and challenges of three professional rodeo athletes

  • The Lawrence High School Yearbook Series including Wild Thing, Blind Date, Jeremy’s Song and Cowboy Cool

  • The Rodeo Trilogy - middle reader series including The Cowboy Kid, Ride For the Crown and Ride the High Country

  • And Then The Sky Exploded - young adult novel nominated for a Red Maple Award

  • Last Sam’s Cage - young adult novel - finalist for R. Ross Annett award for children’s literature

  • The Salt and Pepper Chronicles - middle reader series including The Vampire’s Visit, The Hunk Machine, No Time Like the Past, The Book of Vampire, The Prisoners and the Paintings and Shivers and Shakes

  • I Wish I Could Be Like Tommy Blake - by David A. Poulsen and illustrated by Ron G. Desnoyers- children’s picture book distributed to every grade one student in Alberta in 2011

  • Robokicker - Sports biography, co-written with Dave Ridgway, former CFL great with the Saskatchewan Roughriders

  • Don't Fence Me In - Adult novel - An over-the-hill rodeo clown falls in love with the mascot of a professional football team with hilarious results.

  • The Cowboy Country Cookbook by David A Poulsen, Lauren Hitchner and Barb Poulsen