Fiction writer P.W. Bridgman (a pen name) has degrees in psychology and law.

He wrote under a pen name for many years, because "it was important for me to separate my professional and writerly personae," he says. "I served as a judge for 12 years and, before that, as a barrister for 20. All proceeds from both of my first two books thus were donated to charities because judges cannot earn income from any other activity other than judging." When he retired from the bench in September 2019, Bridgman was able now to speak more freely about his actual life and the context it gives to his writing. He continues to write under his pen name.

In 2012, Bridgman had his short story 'Cake, Bang and Elm' awarded third prize in the Leonard A. Koval Memorial International Fiction Competition and it was therefore included in the Irish anthology, Gem Street, published by Labello Press of Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

'The Mars Hotel' and 'Suitably Framed' each placed in Spilling Ink fiction competitions; both appeared in 2011 in the Scottish anthology, Story.Book, published by Unbound Press of Glasgow. (The Mars Hotel was also short-listed for the U.K. Bridport Prize, flash fiction category, in 2010.)

Bridgman released his first short story collection, Standing at an Angle to My Age (Libros Libertad, 2013) with promo material stating, "While he is convinced that the short story is both the preeminent literary prose form and his true métier, when pressed Mr. Bridgman will also quietly admit to having begun work on a novel."

His work has appeared in, among other Canadian publications, Grain, Antigonish Review, New Orphic Review and Pottersfield Portfolio. His story 'De Mortuis Nil Nisi Bonum', published in Grain, was a finalist for the Canadian National Magazine Award for Fiction in 1993. 'Young Love in the Brayburn Road' received honourable mention in Grain's postcard story contest in 1995 and 'Ceann Dubh Dilis' was awarded first prize in Pottersfield Portfolio's fiction competition in 1998.

BOOKS

Standing at an Angle to My Age (Libros Libertad 2013) $20 978-1-926763-25-5. Short fiction

A Lamb (2018). Poetry

The Four-Faced Liar (Ekstasis, 2021) $25.95 9781771714143. Short fiction

Idiolect (Ekstasis, 2021). Poetry

[BCBW 2021]