Michael Ondaatje

Michael Ondaatje is a renowned novelist, poet, filmmaker, and editor, who was born in Sri Lanka but now resides in Canada. He comes from a diverse background, being born into a Burgher family of Dutch, Tamil, Sinhalese, and Portuguese origin. Ondaatje moved to England with his mother in 1954 and later to Canada in 1962, where he became a citizen. He received his BA from the University of Toronto and his MA from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Afterward, he settled in Toronto and began teaching English Literature at York University and Glendon College.

Ondaatje's writing career began in 1967 with poetry, and he has since become one of Canada's most famous living authors. He has received numerous prestigious literary awards, including the Prix Medicis Etranger, Booker Prize, Governor General Award, and the Giller Prize. In 1992, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC), and two years later, he became a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Ondaatje is best known for his novel, The English Patient, which won the 1992 Man Booker Prize and was adapted into an Academy-Award-winning film. His other notable works include Anil’s Ghost and Warlight, both of which have received critical acclaim and various awards.

Apart from his work as a novelist, Ondaatje has also authored a memoir, a nonfiction book on film, and several books of poetry. He has been involved with Toronto's Coach House Books since the 1960s, working as a poetry editor to support the independent small press. Ondaatje is also the co-editor of Brick, A Literary Journal, with his wife, novelist and academic Linda Spalding, and other writers. He has two children and is the brother of philanthropist, businessman, and author Christopher Ondaatje.