Michael Ondaatje
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
n-born
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. He is the recipient of multiple literary awards such as the
Governor General's Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
, the
Giller Prize The Giller Prize (sponsored as the Scotiabank Giller Prize), is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried competition be ...
, the
Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...
, and the
Prix Médicis étranger Prix was an American power pop band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1975 by Tommy Hoehn and Jon Tiven. The group ended up primarily as a studio project. Its recordings were produced by Tiven along with former Big Star member Chris Bell, who als ...
. Ondaatje is also an Officer of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...
, recognizing him as one of Canada's most renowned living authors. Ondaatje's literary career began with his poetry in 1967, publishing ''The Dainty Monsters'', and then in 1970 the critically acclaimed ''
The Collected Works of Billy the Kid ''The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-Handed Poems'' is a verse novel by Michael Ondaatje, published in 1970. It chronicles and interprets important events in the life of William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, and his conflict with Sheriff P ...
.'' However, he is more recently recognized for his nationally and internationally successful novel ''
The English Patient ''The English Patient'' is a 1992 novel by Michael Ondaatje. The book follows four dissimilar people brought together at an Italian villa during the Italian Campaign of the Second World War. The four main characters are: an unrecognisably burne ...
'' (1992), which was adapted into a
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
in 1996. In 2018, Ondaatje won the Golden Man Booker Prize for ''The English Patient''. In addition to his literary writing, Ondaatje has been an important force in "fostering new Canadian writing""Michael Ondaatje." In ''An Anthology of Canadian Literature in English'', edited by Donna Bennett and Russell Brown, 928-30. 3rd ed. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press, 2010. with two decades commitment to
Coach House Press Coach House Books is an independent book publishing company located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Coach House publishes experimental poetry, fiction, drama and non-fiction. The press is particularly interested in writing that pushes at the boundar ...
(around 1970–90), and his editorial credits on Canadian literary projects like the journal ''
Brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
'', and the ''Long Poem Anthology'' (1979), among others.


Early life and education

Ondaatje was born in
Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
,
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, then called
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, in 1943, of
Burgher Burgher may refer to: * Burgher (social class), a medieval, early modern European title of a citizen of a town, and a social class from which city officials could be drawn ** Burgess (title), a resident of a burgh in northern Britain ** Grand Bu ...
descent (
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
and
Sinhalese Sinhala may refer to: * Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka * Sinhalese people * Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka * Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language ** Sinha ...
). His parents separated when he was an infant; he then lived with relatives until 1954 when he joined his mother in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Before moving to England, he attended
S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia , motto_translation = Be Thou Forever , song = Thomian Song , athletics = Yes , sports = Yes , nickname = Thora , denomination = Anglican , patron ...
in Colombo. While in England, Ondaatje pursued secondary education at
Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2–19 independent, day and boarding school for boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a public school, it began as the College of God's Gift, founded in 1619 by Elizabethan actor Edward Alleyn, with the original purpose of ...
. He emigrated to
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
,
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, in 1962."(Philip) Michael Ondaatje." In ''Gale Online Encyclopedia''. Detroit: Gale, 2016. ''Literature Resource Center''. Retrieved 30 November 2016. After relocating to Canada, Ondaatje studied at
Bishop's College School Bishop's College School or BCS is an English-language non-profit independent boarding prep school in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada for students in Grades 7 to 12.Thomson, Ashley; Lafortune, Sylvie (1999). Handbook of Canadian Boarding Schools. To ...
and
Bishop's University Bishop's University (french: Université Bishop's) is a small English-language Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Diocese of Quebe ...
in
Lennoxville Lennoxville is an ''arrondissement'', or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometres south of downtown Sherbrooke. Lennoxvi ...
,
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, for three years. In his final year he attended the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965. In 1967, he received a Master of Arts from
Queen's University at Kingston Queen's University at Kingston, commonly known as Queen's University or simply Queen's, is a public research university in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Queen's holds more than of land throughout Ontario and owns Herstmonceux Castle in East Suss ...
. While he was working on his undergraduate degree at
Bishop's University Bishop's University (french: Université Bishop's) is a small English-language Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Diocese of Quebe ...
, Ondaatje's met his future mentor, the poet D.G Jones, who praised his poetic ability. After his formal schooling, Ondaatje began teaching English at the
University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by resident ...
in
London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
. In 1971, reluctant to get his PhD, he left his position at Western Ontario and went on to teach English literature at
Glendon College Glendon College is a public liberal arts college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Formally the federated bilingual campus of York University, it is one of the school's nine colleges and 11 faculties with 100 full-time faculty members and a student po ...
,
York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...
.


Work

Ondaatje's work includes fiction, autobiography, poetry and film. He has published 13 books of poetry, and won the
Governor General's Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
for ''The Collected Works of Billy the Kid'' (1970) and ''There's a Trick With a Knife I'm Learning to Do: Poems 1973–1978'' (1979). ''
Anil's Ghost ''Anil's Ghost'' is the critically acclaimed fourth novel by Michael Ondaatje. It was first published in 2000 by McClelland and Stewart. ''Anil's Ghost'' follows the life of Anil Tissera, a native Sri Lankan who left to study in Britain and then ...
'' (2000) was the winner of the 2000
Giller Prize The Giller Prize (sponsored as the Scotiabank Giller Prize), is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried competition be ...
, the
Prix Médicis The Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by and . It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match his talent." The award goes to a work of fiction in the French language. In 19 ...
, the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize, the 2001 Irish Times International Fiction Prize and Canada's
Governor General's Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
. ''
The English Patient ''The English Patient'' is a 1992 novel by Michael Ondaatje. The book follows four dissimilar people brought together at an Italian villa during the Italian Campaign of the Second World War. The four main characters are: an unrecognisably burne ...
'' (1992) won the
Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...
, the Canada Australia Prize, and the
Governor General's Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
. It was adapted as a motion picture, which won the
Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
and multiple other awards.Schillinger, Liesl (14 October 2011)
"Michael Ondaatje's Passage From Ceylon"
''The New York Times''.
''
In the Skin of a Lion ''In the Skin of a Lion'' is a novel by Canadian– Sri Lankan writer Michael Ondaatje. It was first published in 1987 by McClelland and Stewart. The novel fictionalizes the lives of the immigrants who played a large role in the building of the c ...
'' (1987), a novel about early immigrants in Toronto, was the winner of the 1988 City of Toronto Book Award, finalist for the 1987 Ritz Paris Hemingway Award for best novel of the year in English, and winner of the first
Canada Reads ''Canada Reads'' is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC. The program has aired in two distinct editions, the English-language ''Canada Reads'' on CBC Radio One, and the Frenc ...
competition in 2002. '' Coming Through Slaughter'' (1976), is a novel set in
New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, circa 1900, loosely based on the lives of jazz pioneer
Buddy Bolden Charles Joseph "Buddy" Bolden (September 6, 1877 – November 4, 1931) was an African American cornetist who was regarded by contemporaries as a key figure in the development of a New Orleans style of ragtime music, or "jass", which later c ...
and photographer
E. J. Bellocq Ernest Joseph Bellocq (1873–3 October 1949) was an American professional photographer who worked in New Orleans during the early 20th century. Bellocq is remembered for his haunting photographs of the prostitutes of Storyville, New Orleans' le ...
. It was the winner of the 1976
Books in Canada First Novel Award The Amazon.ca First Novel Award, formerly the Books in Canada First Novel Award, is a Canadian literary award, co-presented by Amazon.ca and ''The Walrus'' to the best first novel in English published the previous year by a citizen or resident o ...
. '' Running in the Family'' (1982) is a semi-fictional memoir of his childhood in Ceylon. Ondaatje's novel '' Divisadero'' won the 2007
Governor General's Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
. In 2011 Ondaatje worked with
Daniel Brooks Daniel Brooks (born 23 June 1958) is a Canadian theatre director, actor and playwright. He is well known in the Toronto theatre scene for his innovative productions and script-writing collaborations. Early life Brooks was born in Toronto, Ontari ...
to create a play based on this novel."How Michael Ondaatje and Daniel Brooks made 'Divisadero' into a play"
Kate Taylor, Toronto — ''The Globe and Mail'', 4 February 2011.
In July 2018, his novel ''Warlight'' was longlisted for the
Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...
.


Adaptations

''The Collected Works of Billy the Kid'', ''Coming Through Slaughter'' and ''Divisadero'' have been adapted for the stage and produced in theatrical productions across North America and Europe. In addition to ''The English Patient'' adaptation, Ondaatje's films include a documentary on fellow poet B.P. Nichol, ''Sons of Captain Poetry'', and ''The Clinton Special: A Film About The Farm Show'', which chronicles a collaborative theatre experience led in 1971 by Paul Thompson of
Theatre Passe Muraille Theatre Passe Muraille is a theatre company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Brief history One of Canada's most influential alternative theatres, Theatre Passe Muraille ("theatre beyond walls") was founded in 1968 by director and playwright Jim Gar ...
. In 2002, Ondaatje published a non-fiction book, ''The Conversations:
Walter Murch Walter Scott Murch (born July 12, 1943) is an American film editor, director, writer and sound designer. With a career stretching back to 1969, including work on ''THX 1138'', ''Apocalypse Now'', '' The Godfather I'', '' II'', and '' III'', ''Ame ...
and the Art of Editing Film'', which won special recognition at the 2003 American Cinema Editors Awards, as well as a Kraszna-Krausz Book Award for best book of the year on the moving image.


Honours

On 11 July 1988, Ondaatje was made an Officer of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...
which was later upgraded to grade of companion in 2016, the highest level of the order. In 2005, he was honoured with Sri Lanka Ratna by the former Sri Lankan President
Chandrika Kumaratunga Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga ( si, චන්ද්‍රිකා බණ්ඩාරනායක කුමාරතුංග, ta, சந்திரிகா பண்டாரநாயக்க குமாரதுங்க; born 29 Ju ...
. Sri Lanka Ratna is the highest honour given by the Government of Sri Lanka for foreign nationals. In 2008, he received the Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...
. In 2016, a new species of spider, ''Brignolia ondaatjei'', discovered in Sri Lanka, was named after him.


Public stand

In April 2015, Ondaatje was one of several members of
PEN American Center PEN America (formerly PEN American Center), founded in 1922 and headquartered in New York City, is a nonprofit organization that works to defend and celebrate Freedom of speech, free expression in the United States and worldwide through the ad ...
who withdrew as literary host when the organization gave its annual Freedom of Expression Courage award to ''
Charlie Hebdo ''Charlie Hebdo'' (; meaning ''Charlie Weekly'') is a French satirical weekly magazine, featuring cartoons, reports, polemics, and jokes. Stridently non-conformist in tone, the publication has been described as Anti-racism, anti-racist, sceptica ...
''. The award came in the wake of the shooting attack on the magazine's Paris offices in January 2015. Ondaatje and several other hosts condemned the attack on the office of ''Charlie Hebdo'', but claimed that due to the magazine's history of anti-Islam content it should not have been honoured.


Personal life

Since the 1960s, Ondaatje has been involved with Toronto's
Coach House Books Coach House Books is an independent book publishing company located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Coach House publishes experimental poetry, fiction, drama and non-fiction. The press is particularly interested in writing that pushes at the boundar ...
, supporting the independent small press by working as a poetry editor. Ondaatje and his wife
Linda Spalding Linda Spalding (née Dickinson; June 25, 1943) is a Canadian writer and editor. Born in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Jacob Alan Dickinson and Edith Senner, she lived in Mexico and Hawaii before moving to Toronto, Ontario in 1982. She has tw ...
, a novelist and academic, co-edit ''
Brick, A Literary Journal ''Brick, A Literary Journal'' is a biannual literary magazine established in 1977. It publishes literary and creative non-fiction. History ''Brick'' was established in 1977 in London, Ontario, as a book review section in the literary magazine ''Ap ...
'', with
Michael Redhill Michael Redhill (born 12 June 1966) is an American-born Canadian poet, playwright and novelist.Michael Helm, and Esta Spalding."Michael Ondaatje"
''The Morning News'', by Robert Birnbaum.
In 1988, Ondaatje was made an Officer of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...
(OC) and two years later a Foreign Honorary Member of the
American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...
. Ondaatje served as a founding member of the board of trustees of the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry from 2000 to 2018. Ondaatje has two children with his first wife, Canadian artist
Kim Ondaatje Kim Ondaatje (born Betty Jane Kimbark; born October 2, 1928) is a Canadian Painting, painter, photographer, and documentary film, documentary Filmmaking, filmmaker. Biography Early life and training Born in Toronto, Ontario, Ondaatje studie ...
. His brother Sir
Christopher Ondaatje Sir Philip Christopher Ondaatje, OC, CBE, FRSL (; born 22 February 1933) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian–English businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, writer and bob-sledding Olympian for Canada. Ondaatje is the older brother of the author Mic ...
is a philanthropist, businessman and author. Ondaatje's nephew
David Ondaatje David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
is a film director and screenwriter, who made the 2009 film '' The Lodger''.


Books


Novels

* 1976: '' Coming Through Slaughter'' (also see "Other" section, 1980, below), Toronto: Anansi, ; New York: W. W. Norton, 1977Web page title
"Archive: Michael Ondaatje (1943– )"
at the Poetry Foundation website. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
* 1987: ''
In the Skin of a Lion ''In the Skin of a Lion'' is a novel by Canadian– Sri Lankan writer Michael Ondaatje. It was first published in 1987 by McClelland and Stewart. The novel fictionalizes the lives of the immigrants who played a large role in the building of the c ...
'', New York: Knopf, , * 1992: ''
The English Patient ''The English Patient'' is a 1992 novel by Michael Ondaatje. The book follows four dissimilar people brought together at an Italian villa during the Italian Campaign of the Second World War. The four main characters are: an unrecognisably burne ...
'', New York: Knopf, , * 2000: ''
Anil's Ghost ''Anil's Ghost'' is the critically acclaimed fourth novel by Michael Ondaatje. It was first published in 2000 by McClelland and Stewart. ''Anil's Ghost'' follows the life of Anil Tissera, a native Sri Lankan who left to study in Britain and then ...
'', New York: Knopf, * 2007: '' Divisadero'', * 2011: ''
The Cat's Table ''The Cat's Table'' is a novel by Canadian author Michael Ondaatje first published in 2011. It was a shortlisted nominee for the 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize. The novel is a coming of age story about an 11-year-old boy's journey on a large ship's ...
'', , * 2018: '' Warlight'', ,


Poetry collections

* 1962: Social Call, The Love Story, In Search of Happiness, all featured in The Mitre: Lennoxville: Bishop University Press * 1967: ''The Dainty Monsters'', Toronto: Coach House Press McCrum, Robert (28 August 2011)
"Michael Ondaatje: The divided man"
''The Guardian''.
* 1969: ''The Man with Seven Toes'', Toronto: Coach House Press * 1970: '' The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-Handed Poems'' (also see "Other" section, 1973, below), Toronto: Anansi ; New York: Berkeley, 1975 * 1973: ''Rat Jelly'', Toronto: Coach House Press * 1978: ''Elimination Dance/La danse eliminatoire'', Ilderton: Nairn Coldstream; revised edition, Brick, 1980 * 1979: ''There's a Trick with a Knife I'm Learning to Do: Poems, 1963–1978'', New York: W. W. Norton (New York, NY), 1979 , ** published as ''Rat Jelly, and Other Poems, 1963–1978'', London, United Kingdom: Marion Boyars, 1980 * 1984: ''Secular Love'', Toronto: Coach House Press, , ; New York: W. W. Norton, 1985 * 1986: ''All along the Mazinaw: Two Poems'' (broadside), Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Woodland Pattern * 1986: ''Two Poems, Woodland Pattern'', Milwaukee, Wisconsin * 1989: '' The Cinnamon Peeler: Selected Poems'', London, United Kingdom: Pan; New York: Knopf, 1991 * 1998: ''Handwriting'', Toronto: McClelland & Stewart; New York: Knopf, 1999 * 2006: ''The Story'', Toronto: House of Anansi,


Editor

* 1971: ''The Broken Ark'', animal verse; Ottawa: Oberon; revised as ''A Book of Beasts'', 1979 * 1977: ''Personal Fictions: Stories by Munro, Wiebe, Thomas, and Blaise'', Toronto: Oxford University Press * 1979: ''A Book of Beasts'', animal verse; Ottawa: Oberon; revision of ''The Broken Ark'', 1971 * 1979: ''The Long Poem Anthology'', Toronto: Coach House * 1989: With
Russell Banks Russell Banks (born March 28, 1940) is an American writer of fiction and poetry. As a novelist, Banks is best known for his "detailed accounts of domestic strife and the daily struggles of ordinary often-marginalized characters". His stories usua ...
and David Young, ''Brushes with Greatness: An Anthology of Chance Encounters with Greatness'', Toronto: Coach House, 1989 * 1989: Edited with
Linda Spalding Linda Spalding (née Dickinson; June 25, 1943) is a Canadian writer and editor. Born in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Jacob Alan Dickinson and Edith Senner, she lived in Mexico and Hawaii before moving to Toronto, Ontario in 1982. She has tw ...
, ''The Brick Anthology'', illustrated by David Bolduc, Toronto: Coach House Press * 1990: ''From Ink Lake: An Anthology of Canadian Short Stories''; New York: Viking * 1990: ''The Faber Book of Contemporary Canadian Short Stories''; London, United Kingdom: Faber * 2000: Edited with Michael Redhill, Esta Spalding and Linda Spalding, ''Lost Classics'', Toronto: Knopf Canada ; New York: Anchor, 2001 * 2002: Edited and wrote introduction, ''
Mavis Gallant Mavis Leslie de Trafford Gallant, , née Young (11 August 1922 – 18 February 2014), was a Canadian writer who spent much of her life and career in France. Best known as a short story writer, she also published novels, plays and essays. Pe ...
, Paris Stories'', New York: New York Review Books


Other

* 1966: '' The Offering'' - co-producer and co-screenwriter * 1970: ''Leonard Cohen'' (literary criticism), Toronto: McClelland & Stewart * 1973: ''The Collected Works of Billy the Kid'' (play; based on his poetry; see "Poetry" section, 1970, above), produced in
Stratford, Ontario Stratford is a city on the Avon River within Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a 2016 population of 31,465 in a land area of . Stratford is the seat of Perth County, which was settled by English, Irish, Scottish and German im ...
; produced in New York, 1974; produced in London, England, 1984 * 1979: ''Claude Glass'' (literary criticism), Toronto: Coach House Press * 1980: ''Coming through Slaughter'' (play based on his novel; see "Novels" section, 1976, above), first produced in Toronto * 1982: '' Running in the Family'', memoir, New York: W. W. Norton, , * 1982: ''Tin Roof'', British Columbia, Canada: Island, , * 1987: ''In the Skin of a Lion'' (based on his novel), New York: Knopf * 1994: Edited with B. P. Nichol and
George Bowering George Harry Bowering, (born December 1, 1935) is a prolific Canadian novelist, poet, historian, and biographer. He was the first Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate. He was born in Penticton, British Columbia, and raised in the nearby town o ...
, ''An H in the Heart: A Reader'', Toronto: McClelland & Stewart * 1996: Wrote introduction,
Anthony Minghella Anthony Minghella, (6 January 195418 March 2008) was a British film director, playwright and screenwriter. He was chairman of the board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007. He won the Academy Award for Best Directo ...
, adaptor, ''The English Patient: A Screenplay'', New York: Hyperion Miramax * 2002: ''The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film'', New York: Knopf, * 2002: ''Films by Michael Ondaatje''Films by Michael Ondaatje
* 2004: ''Vintage Ondaatje'',


See also

* Ondaatje Letters *
Sri Lankan Chetties Sri Lankan Chetties (, ) also known as Colombo Chetties, is an ethnicity in the island of Sri Lanka. Formerly considered a Sri Lankan Tamil caste, they were classified as a separate ethnic group in the 2001 census. They were a class of Tamil spea ...
*
Christopher Ondaatje Sir Philip Christopher Ondaatje, OC, CBE, FRSL (; born 22 February 1933) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian–English businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, writer and bob-sledding Olympian for Canada. Ondaatje is the older brother of the author Mic ...
*
Kim Ondaatje Kim Ondaatje (born Betty Jane Kimbark; born October 2, 1928) is a Canadian Painting, painter, photographer, and documentary film, documentary Filmmaking, filmmaker. Biography Early life and training Born in Toronto, Ontario, Ondaatje studie ...
*
Pearl Ondaatje Pearl Ondaatje was a pioneer of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia. She was one of the radio station's first female newsreaders and a presenter of radio programs, including programs for women listeners of the radio station. Pear ...
*
List of Bishop's College School alumni Bishop's College School, a private secondary school founded in 1836 in the Borough of Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada owns an Old boy network. Former male students are referred to as BCS Old Boys and former King's Hall, Compton & BCS fem ...


Notes


Further reading

* ''Comparative Cultural Studies and Michael Ondaatje's Writing''. Ed. Steven Tötösy de Zepetnek. West Lafayette: Purdue University Press, 2005. * Barbour, Douglas. ''Michael Ondaatje.'' New York: Twayne, 1993. * Jewinski, Ed. ''Michael Ondaatje: Express Yourself Beautifully''. Toronto: ECW, 1994. * Tötösy de Zepetnek, Steven (斯蒂文·托托西演). 文学研究的合法化: 一种新实用主义 ·整体化和经主 义文学与文化研究方法 (Legitimizing the Study of Literature: A New Pragmatism and the Systemic Approach to Literature and Culture). Trans. Ma Jui-ch'i (马瑞琪翻). Beijing: Peking University Press, 1997. 111–34. * Tötösy de Zepetnek, Steven. "Cultures, Peripheralities, and Comparative Literature." in Steven Tötösy de Zepetnek (ed.). ''Comparative Literature: Theory, Method, Application''. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1998. 150–65.


External links


On Michael Ondaatje's late style, in the Literary Review of Canada, by
Moez Surani. * Jane Henderson (2 May 2016).
Ondaatje wins St. Louis Literary Award
.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the ''Belleville News-De ...
. Retrieved 22 July 2016. * *
"I came from a tussle with the sea": An interview with Michael Ondaatje
in '' Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts'' (24.2)
Full text of ''The Dainty Monsters''"Adventures in the Skin Trade"
PEN World Voices The PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature is an annual week-long literary festival held in New York City and Los Angeles. The festival was founded by Salman Rushdie, Esther Allen, and Michael Roberts and was launched in 2005. The fes ...
at LIVE from the
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...
. 4 May 2008 (Video, 1hr, 6 min)
Transcript of interview
with
Ramona Koval Ramona Koval (born 1954, Melbourne) is an Australian broadcaster, writer and journalist. Her parents were Yiddish-speaking survivors of The Holocaust who arrived in Melbourne from Poland in 1950. Koval is known for her extended and in-depth in ...
on ''
The Book Show Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. History 1937: Predecessors an ...
'',
ABC Radio National Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. History 1937: Predecessors an ...
on ''Divisadero'' recorded in Montreal, April 2007.
Profile. Emory UniversityOrder of Canada Citation
''
Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...
'', November 1996 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ondaatje, Michael 1943 births 20th-century Canadian male writers 20th-century Canadian novelists 20th-century Canadian poets 21st-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian novelists 21st-century Canadian poets Bishop's College School alumni Booker Prize winners Burgher academics Burgher poets Burgher writers Canadian Film Centre alumni Canadian male novelists Canadian male poets Canadian people of Dutch descent Canadian people of Tamil descent Companions of the Order of Canada Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Governor General's Award-winning fiction writers Governor General's Award-winning poets Harbourfront Festival Prize winners Living people People educated at Dulwich College People from Colombo People of British Ceylon Prix Médicis étranger winners Queen's University at Kingston alumni Sri Lanka Rathna Sri Lankan emigrants to Canada University of Toronto alumni University of Western Ontario faculty Writers from Montreal Writers from Toronto York University faculty M Amazon.ca First Novel Award winners