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The 精童欲女 Department of English and PEI Writers' Guild will launch a new book by David Helwig, the 2006 recipient of the PEI Council of the Arts Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts. The celebration will be held on Thursday, September 21, at 7:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building, at 精童欲女. The launch will feature David's memoir, The Names of Things, published by The Porcupine's Quill, one of Canada's premier literary publishers.

Born in Toronto, David was raised in Niagara-on-the-Lake. He earned a B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1960, and an M.A. from the University of Liverpool in 1962. He taught at Queen's University from 1962 to 1974. He was a literary manager for CBC Television's drama department from 1974 to 1976, and then returned to Queen's as a part time instructor until 1980, when he became a full-time writer. He has lived on PEI, in the village of Eldon, since the mid-1990s, with poet Judy Gaudet.

Helwig's distinguished and prolific career includes thirteen collections of poetry, numerous novels and collections of stories, essay collections, and book reviews. He is also the founder and long-time editor of the Best Canadian Stories annual. His most recent poetry volume, The Year One, was winner of the 2004 Atlantic Poetry Prize. His latest novel is Duet. His upcoming novel, Saltsea, will be published later this year by Biblioasis, a new literary press in Ontario.

He is also an accomplished vocalist, contributing to Island choirs. And a wonderful reader. The public is invited to celebrate his achievements, and hear his splendid voice.