Michael Ondaatje’s Followers (4,149)

Michael Ondaatje

Born

in Colombo, Ceylon

September 12, 1943

Genre

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Poetry

edit data

Philip Michael Ondaatje is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, and essayist, renowned for his contributions to both poetry and prose. He was born in Colombo in 1943, to a family of Tamil and Burgher descent. Ondaatje emigrated to Canada in 1962, where he pursued his education, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts from Queen's University.
Ondaatje’s literary career began in 1967 with his poetry collection The Dainty Monsters, followed by his celebrated The Collected Works of Billy the Kid in 1970. His poetry earned him numerous accolades, including the Governor General’s Award for his collection There's a Trick with a Knife I'm Learning to Do: Poems 1973–1978 in 1979. He publishe Philip Michael Ondaatje is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, and essayist, renowned for his contributions to both poetry and prose. He was born in Colombo in 1943, to a family of Tamil and Burgher descent. Ondaatje emigrated to Canada in 1962, where he pursued his education, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts from Queen's University.
Ondaatje’s literary career began in 1967 with his poetry collection The Dainty Monsters, followed by his celebrated The Collected Works of Billy the Kid in 1970. His poetry earned him numerous accolades, including the Governor General’s Award for his collection There's a Trick with a Knife I'm Learning to Do: Poems 1973–1978 in 1979. He published 13 books of poetry, exploring diverse themes and poetic forms.
In 1992, Ondaatje gained international fame with the publication of his novel The English Patient, which won the Booker Prize and was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. His other notable works include In the Skin of a Lion (1987), Anil’s Ghost (2000), and Divisadero (2007), which won the Governor General’s Award. Ondaatje’s novel Warlight (2018) was longlisted for the Booker Prize.
Aside from his writing, Ondaatje has been influential in fostering Canadian literature. He served as an editor at Coach House Books, contributing to the promotion of new Canadian voices. He also co-edited Brick, A Literary Journal, and worked as a founding trustee of the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry.
Ondaatje’s work spans various forms, including plays, documentaries, and essays. His 2002 book The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film earned him critical acclaim and won several awards. His plays have been adapted from his novels, including The Collected Works of Billy the Kid and Coming Through Slaughter.
Over his career, Ondaatje has been honored with several prestigious awards. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1988, upgraded to Companion in 2016, and received the Sri Lanka Ratna in 2005. In 2016, a new species of spider, Brignolia ondaatjei, was named in his honor.
Ondaatje’s personal life is also intertwined with his literary pursuits. He has been married to novelist Linda Spalding, and the couple co-edits Brick. He has two children from his first marriage and is the brother of philanthropist Sir Christopher Ondaatje. He was also involved in a public stand against the PEN American Center's decision to honor Charlie Hebdo in 2015, citing concerns about the publication's anti-Islamic content.
Ondaatje’s enduring influence on literature and his ability to blend personal history with universal themes in his writing continue to shape Canadian and world literature. ...more

Combine Editions
Michael Ondaatje’s books

Average rating: 3.77 · 292,859 ratings · 23,143 reviews · 141 distinct works • Similar authors

	The English Patient 3.86 avg rating — 137,889 ratings — published 1992 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Warlight 3.60 avg rating — 46,385 ratings — published 2018 — 89 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Cat's Table 3.62 avg rating — 27,242 ratings — published 2011 — 87 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	In the Skin of a Lion 3.84 avg rating — 19,050 ratings — published 1987 — 77 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Anil's Ghost 3.59 avg rating — 18,678 ratings — published 2000 — 110 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Divisadero 3.52 avg rating — 11,809 ratings — published 2007 — 80 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Running in the Family 3.83 avg rating — 9,782 ratings — published 1982 — 79 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Coming Through Slaughter 3.87 avg rating — 6,876 ratings — published 1976 — 64 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Collected Works of Billy the Kid 3.95 avg rating — 4,498 ratings — published 1970 — 63 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Cinnamon Peeler: Selected Poems 4.17 avg rating — 2,424 ratings — published 1989 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Michael Ondaatje…

Emily St. John Mandel soared to critical acclaim and bestseller lists in 2014 with her novel Station Eleven, about the collapse of civilization...

Polls

lease vote for the book you'd prefer to read as February's Book of the Month. Titles not selected are eligible to be nominated at a future time (assuming an interest in doing more BoMs). Feel free to ask any questions or champion your choice in the comments.

Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje

4 votes, 40.0%

The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis

3 votes, 30.0%

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

3 votes, 30.0%

10 total votes

comments and details

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The History Book ...: ARCHIVE - THE ENGLISH PATIENT	16	50	Nov 04, 2008 10:07AM
The Next Best Boo...: We have our JUNE group read WINNERS!!	216	801	Jun 02, 2009 02:58PM
College Students! : Summer Challenge--Official Record of Points	42	800	Aug 31, 2009 08:41PM
The Next Best Boo...: Favourite Authors from your native country	44	584	Sep 20, 2009 10:54AM
The Seasonal Read...: 10.8 (OH CANADA!)	36	241	Dec 21, 2009 02:06PM
The Seasonal Read...: Summer Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks (do NOT delete any posts in this thread)	3022	3283	Aug 31, 2010 10:39PM
Historical Fictio...: Challenge #3 - June 1 - August 31st	741	608	Sep 01, 2010 07:10PM

More…

Is this you? Let us know. If not, help out and invite Michael to Goodreads.