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Michael Ondaatje bio
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MICHAEL ONDAATJE
Family/home: Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 1943. Emigrated to England in 1954, then to Canada in 1962. Lives in Toronto with his wife, Linda Spalding, a writer and editor; has two children and two stepchildren.
Education/career: University of Toronto, B.A. (1965); Queens University, M.A. (1967). Has taught at the University of Western Ontario, Glendon College, York University and Stanford University.
Selected titles/awards: "The Collected Works of Billy the Kid" (1970, Governor General's Award); "Running in the Family" (1982); "In the Skin of a Lion" (1987); "The Cinnamon Peeler" (1991); "The English Patient" (1992, Booker Prize); "Anil's Ghost" (2000, Giller Prize and Governor General's Award); "Divisadero" (2007, Governor General's Award).
Films and documentaries: The 1996 adaptation of "The English Patient," directed by Anthony Minghella, won nine Academy Awards, including best picture. Ondaatje has made three documentaries: "The Clinton Special" (1974), about an acting troupe's experiences in an Ontario farm community; "Sons of Captain Poetry" (1970), based on the life of Canadian poet bpNichol , and "Carry on Crime and Punishment" (1970), a short-short about two poets who try to kidnap a dog.
New book he recommends: "The Outlander," by Gil Adamson (Ecco), the tale of a post-partum, hallucinatory 19-year-old who kills her husband and flees into the Canadian wilderness.
A cause he supports: Dignitas International, an organization working to increase access to AIDS/HIV treatment and care in the developing world.
Here are some of Books Editor Laurie Hertzel's favorite sites and blogs. Got a literary link to share? E-mail Laurie.
- WOMEN RULE WRITER An Irish writer's take on writing, reading, literary competitions and workshops in Ireland.
- Poets & Writers The website for Poets and Writers Magazine--podcasts, author interviews, and writing resources.
- Creative Writing A place to keep apprised of writing competitions in the United States.
- Gather Minnesota Readers The Website for Minnesota Public Radio's books blog.
- The Loft Literary Center The Website for the Loft, a local place for writers and readers.
- Trashionista A Website devoted to chick lit and mommy books.
- A.Word.A.Day Go here to learn a new word every day.
- World Wide Words Michael Quinion answers your language questions and writes about English from a British point of view.
- bookreporter.com A plethora of online book reviews and reading guides.
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