Michael Ondaatje

Date of Birth: September 12, 1943

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Biography

Michael Ondaatje is a celebrated Canadian author, poet, and filmmaker, best known for his novel “The English Patient,” which won the Man Booker Prize and was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. Born in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Ondaatje moved to England in 1954 and then to Canada in 1962. He has a rich literary career that spans several decades, marked by a unique narrative style that often blends fiction with historical events. Ondaatje attended Bishop’s University in Quebec and later completed his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Toronto. He earned a Master’s degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He has worked as a professor at York University and Glendon College in Toronto, influencing many young writers. In addition to “The English Patient,” Ondaatje has authored several other notable works, including “In the Skin of a Lion,” “Anil’s Ghost,” “Divisadero,” and “Warlight.” His poetry collections, such as “The Collected Works of Billy the Kid” and “There’s a Trick with a Knife I’m Learning to Do,” have also garnered critical acclaim. His works are known for their lyrical prose and deep emotional resonance.

5 Interesting Facts about Michael Ondaatje

1. Michael Ondaatje’s full name is Philip Michael Ondaatje.

2. He won the Golden Man Booker Prize in 2018 for “The English Patient,” recognizing it as the best Booker Prize winner in the past 50 years.

3. Ondaatje co-founded the literary magazine “Brick” and has been instrumental in its success.

4. He has received multiple Governor General’s Awards, one of Canada’s most prestigious literary honors.

5. In addition to his writing, Ondaatje has also directed experimental films, showcasing his versatility as an artist.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Michael Ondaatje

1. “The past is always carried into the present by small things.”

2. “Truth, at the wrong time, can be dangerous.”

3. “We die containing a richness of lovers and tribes, tastes we have swallowed, bodies we have plunged into and swum up as if rivers of wisdom, characters we have climbed into as if trees, fears we have hidden in as if caves.”

4. “The first sentence of every novel should be: ‘Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human.’”

5. “He came to this country like a torch on fire and he swallowed air as if he were diving into smoke.”