Dr. David Leach

Biography

David joined the faculty of the University of Victoria in 2004. He was born in Winnipeg, grew up in Ottawa, and lived in Israel while studying creative writing and literature. He completed his BA at the University of Victoria and graduated with an MA in English from Queen's University in Kingston. David has taught and freelanced in the Czech Republic before returning to Victoria, where he worked as a sessional instructor in the Department of English and as the City Life Editor at Monday Magazine. Additionally, he spent several years in Toronto as the Managing Editor of Explore: Canada’s Outdoor Magazine. David's writing has been published in various notable publications including Financial Post, British Columbia Magazine, Canadian Geographic, and Globe & Mail. He has received multiple awards such as the Canadian Society Magazine Editors Award and the National Magazine Award for Travel Writing. His books include 'Fatal Tide: Race of a Lifetime Goes Wrong,' which was released in 2008 and won a Special Jury Mention at the Banff International Mountain Book Festival, and 'Chasing Utopia: The Future of the Kibbutz in a Divided Israel,' published in 2016. He is also involved in digital storytelling and social simulation, co-creating online historical simulations and founding the emerging Canadian Centre for eXtended Realities.

Research Interests