About
Michael Ondaatje is a Canadian writer born in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), in 1943. He emigrated to Canada in 1962 and became a Canadian citizen in 1965. He studied at the University of Toronto and Queen's University. First recognized as a poet, he won the Governor General's Award for his book The Collected Works of Billy the Kid (1970). His novel The English Patient (1992) won the Booker Prize, a first for a Canadian, as well as the Governor General's Award. In 2018, this novel was named the 'Golden Man Booker' as the best novel in the prize's history. He also won the Giller Prize, the Governor General's Award, and the Prix Médicis for Anil's Ghost (2000).
* 1943-09-12
Major works
- The Collected Works of Billy the Kid (1970)poetry
- The English Patient (1992)novel
- Anil's Ghost (2000)novel
- Divisadero (2007)novel
- The Cat's Table (2011)novel
Key milestones
- 1962Emigrated to Canada.
- 1992The English Patient wins the Booker Prize, a first for a Canadian.
- 2018The English Patient is named the 'Golden Man Booker'.
Themes
identity and belongingmemory and historywar and violencelove and lossdisplacement and exile
Sources: britannica.com · thebookerprizes.com · id.loc.gov