Dave Bidini (born 1963) is a Canadian writer, musician, and journalist whose work connects independent music, sport, travel, and community life. A founding member of the Toronto rock band Rheostatics, he has developed a parallel literary career in nonfiction and cultural journalism. Penguin Random House credits him with thirteen books and describes him as a National Magazine Award winner.
Bidini’s writing often draws on experiences in performance and on the social worlds built around games and music. In Around the World in 57 1/2 Gigs, he brings those interests together through a musician’s travels and performances beyond Canada. His wider bibliography includes books on Canadian rock, hockey, baseball, and soccer, as well as work for stage and documentary film. This movement between songwriting, reporting, and long-form nonfiction is central to his public career.
His honours include the 2006 Francesco Giuseppe Bressani Literary Prize for creative nonfiction for Baseballissimo. Bidini also founded Toronto’s West End Phoenix, a community newspaper focused on local reporting and storytelling; he continues to identify himself as its publisher. His work therefore combines an established role in Canadian independent music with sustained writing about culture, sport, and local journalism.
This profile is awaiting source review; collected books are already linked below.
