WELCOME
DAVID W. BERNER
Writer
Forthcoming from David W. Berner
Fall 2025, Garden Tools: Poems, Finishing Line Press
Fall 2026, American Moon: A Novella, Regal House Publishing
DAVID W.
BERNER
Writer
WINNER London Book Festival, 2024
WINNER, Firebird Book Award, 2024
WINNER, Book Excellence Awards, 2024
GOLD STAR AWARD, Literary Titan
From O-Books/Collective Ink
"One of the book’s great strengths is its immersive and poetic language. Berner’s prose is luminous, painting each scene with a careful balance of restraint and emotional depth.."
—Chrysalis Brew Project Review
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
A personal narrative on the power of growing older.
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".An authentic and moving narrative with fittingly beautiful and powerful writing.”
—International Review of Books
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“An engaging contemplation of deeper issues in the midst of everyday life.”
—Kirkus Reviews
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DAVID W. BERNER
Winner of the The Fugere Book Prize for Finely Crafted Novellas, for his forthcoming book AMERICAN MOON from Regal House Publishing
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The author of several books of award-winning personal narrative and fiction. The recipient of honors and awards from the NYC Big Book Award, the Paris Book Festival, the Hawthorne Prize, the Page Turner Awards, Readers' Choice Awards, The Society of Midland Authors, The Chicago Writers Association, and the Eric Hoffer Book Awards..
His short stories, creative nonfiction, and poems have been published in The Ulu Review, Beyond Words Literary Magazine, Humans of the World, Red Noise Collective, Voices, The Lascaux Review, and others.
He has also been honored as a former Writer-in-Residence at the Jack Kerouac Project in Orlando and at the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home in Oak Park, Illinois.
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For many years now, he's been a writing teacher at Gotham Writers, and the editor of the writing craft website at MEDIUM—The Writer Shed. David also writes regular personal essays at SUBSTACK: The Abundance. MORE
The Writer Shed newsletter.
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"Admirers of Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead or Kent Haruf’s Our Souls at Night will find a similar quiet power in Berner’s work. Fans of reflective, character-driven narratives steeped in natural beauty will feel a profound connection to this book."
—Chrysalis Brew Project Review
THE ISLANDER
A short novel
Outpost19 Books/Shortish Project
By David W. Berner
Winner and Finalist in more than ten national and international book awards.
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NAIWE Award Winner, Literary Fiction
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BREW Fiction Book Excellence Award 2023
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BREW Readers’ Choice Award for April 2025.
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NYC Big Book Award-Winner (Novella)
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IAN Book Awards Finalist
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Literary Titan Gold Award
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Paris Book Festival Honoree
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American Book Fest Award Finalist
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Page Turner Award Finalist
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Hawthorne Prize Finalist
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Readers' Choice Award, Finalist
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Chicago Writers Association Finalist
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An aging writer retreats to a remote island off the coast of Ireland to escape to a monastic life. A young woman who carries her own troubled past comes to the island on a solitary spiritual and hiking adventure. Together they attempt to discover a way to heal their collective hearts.
"Unputdownable...a melancholic, solemn, and remarkable short novel that captures in beautiful lexical style the interaction between two people. The writing style is impeccable."
—International Review of Books
The Islander excels in a simple, rugged perspective of life and self that contrasts the experiences and perspectives of father and son and the lives each touches. (The novel's) reflection of psychological depth and literary strength will attract a wide audience."
—Midwest Book Review
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A novella from The Shortish Project and Outpost19 Books. An initiative to champion the great tradition of short novels.
Outpost19
Outpost19 B
WALKS WITH SAM
"A timeless phenomenon splendidly explored and revealed in his wise and insightful Walks with Sam, a moving memoir about how a young dog can teach an old man new tricks about mindfulness and presence. Hard to remember when I've enjoyed a walk with two friends more." —James Dodson, New York Times best-selling author of Faithful Travelers and Final Rounds.
"Berner’s plainspoken manner reveals moments of true enlightenment. Dog lovers and spiritualists will adore this." —Publishers Weekly
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SANDMAN: A GOLF TALE
"A storyline to satisfy our wistful golfing souls." —Tom Coyne, author of A Course Called Scotland and A Course Called America
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"An effectively colorful, somewhat philosophical story of love and heartbreak on the golf links." — Kirkus Reviews
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"What an absolute delight this piece of literary fiction is! I was hooked from page one." — International Review of Books
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A young boy is in love with the game of golf, but he doesn’t understand why. He has a natural talent and an enviable swing but playing the game well is not enough. There’s something missing.
When Jimmy, the homeless man who spends his days cheering on golfers from his usual sitting spot just off the 5th green at Old Elm Municipal Golf course goes missing, the young boy becomes curious. His quest uncovers Jimmy’s mysterious link to the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland and reveals a life in golf that not only fascinates but sends the boy on a personal journey to discover the magic of an ancient game.
Roundfire Books, UK
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MORE ABOUT DAVID W. BERNER
David W. Berner is the recipient of honors and awards from The Society of Midland Authors, The Chicago Writers Association, and the Eric Hoffer Book Awards. He has been the Writer-in-Residence for the Jack Kerouac Project in Orlando. He later was honored as the Writer-in-Residence at the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home and Museum in Oak Park, Illinois.
His memoirs and fiction are about fathers and sons, the redemptive power of travel, nature, music, and the sage-like connections we share with pets.
His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Clef Notes Chicagoland Journal for the Arts, Under the Gum Tree, and other journals online and in print.
David was born in Pittsburgh, PA and now lives in the Chicago area. Along with his writing credentials, David has had a distinguished career as a broadcast journalist, reporting for the CBS Radio Network, WBBM Radio Chicago, and public radio outlets throughout America.
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RAINBOW MAN is a serialized online story about a aging widower who travels to Spain to seek solace and instead finds himself entangled in the secret counterculture life of a younger woman.
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Join the story @ SUBSTACK
Available NOW.
David writes inside a shed on his property, an 8x10 space filled with books, a desk, a fan, a heater, and his old acoustic guitar. Many of his books have been written here, Writer Shed Stories from Writer Shed Press is produced here, along with his regular personal essay newsletter @Substack:
The Abundance
CONTACT
