Meet Norma Dunning!

Hi everyone! I am honoured to be the 2025-2026 Writer in Residence. I'm looking forward to being able to serve the arts community of Regina. I know people always differentiate between artists and writers but for me, writers are artists: we paint, sculpt and create through our words. 

I am the author of two short story collections, two collections of poetry, and one memoir. I have three more books coming out soon, including two children's books and a novel. I am also an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Indigenous Studies at First Nations University of Canada. 

Because I am an Inuk writer, my work centres around Inuit Canadian identity and current circumstance. I write in an Inuit genre in hopes of increasing the knowledge and understanding of Inuit worldwide. 

I look forward to meeting and serving writers of all ages and stages of their artistic journey. For more information, visit the Writer in Residence page or send me an email at wir@reginalibrary.ca. Keep checking the Writer in Residence page for updates about writing workshops and an Indigenous Writers' Circle starting soon. 

If you'd like to learn more about me and my writing, borrow one of my books from the library:

• Annie Muktuk and Other Stories: A short story collection about Inuit life in the north with gritty characters who find themselves in difficult situations. 
• Eskimo Pie: A Poetics of Inuit Identity: An examination of Dunning's lived history as an Inuk who was born, raised, and continues to live in the south.
• Tainna (The Unseen Ones): Six powerful short stories centred on modern-day Inuk characters. 
• Akia (The Other Side): A poetry collection that honours Inuit who lay in the past, Inuit who are with us now and most importantly the Inuit who are waiting to come to us. 
• Kinauvit? (What's Your Name?): A comprehensive look at the Eskimo disc identification system and Dunning's search for her grandmother.