Michael Ondaatje

Michael Ondaatje is one of Canada’s premiere authors and has been for over forty years. His works have earned him multiple honors including the Governor General’s Award, the Booker Prize, and several other literary prizes. His books have been translated and published in over 40 countries worldwide. Ondaatje is known for his novels that explore themes of identity and the interconnectedness of the human experience, often featuring characters trying to make order out of chaos.

Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka and moved to Canada with his family when he was 11 years old. He attended the University of Toronto and Queen’s University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965. He received a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Toronto in 1972.

Ondaatje’s first volume of poetry, The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, was published in 1970. His second collection of poetry, Rat Jelly, followed in 1973. Ondaatje’s first novel, Coming Through Slaughter (1976), is based on the life of jazz musician Buddy Bolden. This ambitious novel combines history and fiction, combining the facts of Bolden’s life with imagined scenes from it.

Ondaatje’s 1992 book The English Patient is one of his most famous works. The novel follows a group of people in a wrecked Italian villa near the end of World War II. Among these characters is the titular English patient, an injured man of unknown identity whose secrets will eventually unravel. This novel won the Booker Prize and was made into an Academy Award-winning film.

In a Single Man (1998), Ondaatje returns to his themes of identity and memory. The novel follows a day in the life of George Falconer, a middle-aged college professor in the process of mourning the death of his longtime partner. The novel is set in 1960s California and explores the delicate balance of connecting with family, friends, and the world around us.

Ondaatje’s 2003 novel Anil’s Ghost returns to his Sri Lankan roots. The novel is set in the country during a time of political unrest between the state and rebel groups. The protagonist of the novel is Anil, an archaeologist who becomes entangled in a dangerous investigation into the disappearances of numerous locals.

Ondaatje has also written a handful of non-fiction works. In Running in the Family (1982), he chronicles his experience growing up in Sri Lanka by weaving together stories from his family archives. His most recent non-fiction book, Divisadero (2007), explores the developing relationships of a small group of people living on a California farm in the 1970s.

In short, Michael Ondaatje is an acclaimed author whose works explore themes of identity, memory, and the interconnectedness of the human experience. His books have won numerous awards, including the Governor General’s Award and the Booker Prize. Ondaatje’s works vary in subject matter, often focusing on his Sri Lankan roots, but all explore themes of family, relationships, and how we fit into our world.