Michael Ondaatje (pronounced: ahn-dah-che) (1943 -)

Anil’s Ghost

Background and Career

• Born 1943 Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
• Parents prominent members of Ceylon’s colonial society
• Moved to England with mother 1954 after parents separated
• Educated in Ceylon, London, Canada
• BA University of Toronto 1965
• MA Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario
• Teaches York University, Toronto
• Edits Break: A Literary Magazine with wife Linda Spalding
• Recipient of numerous awards and honors
• Booker Prize winner 1992 for The English Patient
• Recipient of numerous other awards and honors
• Author of four novels, one memoir, and thirteen books of poetry
• Has made three films and edited a number of anthologies

Novels
Coming Through Slaughter, 1976
In The Skin of a Lion, 1987
The English Patient, 1992
Anil’s Ghost, 2000

Memoir
Running in the Family, 1982

Selected Poetry
The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left Handed Poems, 1970
There’s a Trick with a Knife I’m Learning to Do: Poems 1963-1978, 1979
Handwriting: Poems, 1998

Selected Critical Sources and Reviews
Fichtner, Margarita, “Sharing the Story.” The Salt Lake Tribune. 8 Dec 1996. Online. Friedman’s Home Page
MacPherson, Andrea, “Ondaatje’s Cathartic Vision.” januarymagazine..com/fiction/anilsghost
“Michael Ondaatje: Bibliography of Primary Works.” Online. Friedman’s Home Page
“Ondaatje, Michael.” Contemporary Authors. Ed. Susan Trosky. Gale Research Inc. Detroit, MI 1994. 346-348.
“Ondaatje, Michael.” The Canadian & World Encyclopedia. McClelland & Stewart Inc. 1998. Online. Friedman’s Home Page
Weich, Dave. “Michael Ondaatje’s Cubist Civil War.” Powells.com