1. Michael
Ondaatje
“I'm a Canadian citizen.
But I always want to feel
at home in Sri Lanka. I'm a
member of both
countries.” -- Michael
Ondaatje
2. BACKGROUND
Born on September 12, 1943
Kegalle, 50 miles West of Colombo, Ceylon
Dutch, Singhalese, Tamil and British Ancestry
Family had been on the island since 1600s
Youngest of four siblings
(Jewinski,1994)
3. EARLY LIFE
1945: Parents divorced
Lack of father figure
1949: Mother and brother moved to England
Describes his mother as “more English than the
English” (Jewinski, 1994, p. 17)
1952: Michael moved to England
Influence of his uncle Noel
(Jewinski,1994)
4. MOVE TO CANADA
1962: Ondaatje immigrates to Canada
1964-65: Bishop’s University, Lennoxville,
Quebec
Influence of Arthur Motyer, teacher
Importance of an “enthusiasm [to] be
communicated” (Jewinski, 1994, p.28) in
teaching
(Jewinski,1994)
5. EDUCATION BACKGROUND
1964: University of Toronto (B.A)
Ralph Gustafson Award
1967: Queen’s University (M.A.)
Publishes his first book, The Dainty Monsters
Professor at University of Western Ontario
1971: Teaching at York University
(Thesen, 2013)
6. PERSONAL LIFE
Marriage to Kim Jones in 1966
Daughter Quintin and son Griffin
6 kids – 4 from Kim’s previous marriage
Belief in keeping personal and family life
private
Marriage to Lisa Spalding (n.d.)
(Jewinski,1994)
7. CONTRIBUTION TO CANADA
Describes himself as a displaced
person
“I really envy roots” (Jewinski,1994,
p. 112)
Haunted by separation
Regarded as one of Canada’s most
important contemporary writers and
one of the country’s biggest cultural
exports
(Jewinski,1994)
8. POETRY, NOVELS & FILMS
Influenced by past and other notable figures such as
Buddy Holden, BP Nichol
Adaptation of novels as theatrical productions across
North America and Europe
His narrative style can be described as:
Fragmented
Combining memoir, fiction, photography
Depicting themes of multiculturalism using a vivid array
of characters
Non linear
(York, 2014)
(L. York, personal communication, January 14, 2014)
9. Honours & Awards
Five time winner of the Governor General’s Award
Giller Prize, Booker Prize
Officer of the Order of Canada
Recognizing a lifetime of outstanding achievement
and dedication
1996 film version of the novel “The English Patient”
won nine Academy Awards.
(Thesen, 2013)
10. PERSONAL CONNECTIONS
English course on Michael Ondaatje
Combination of fact and fiction
Diverse interests in the literary field
11. References
Jewinski, Ed. (1994). Michael Ondaatje: Express Yourself
Beautifully. Toronto: ECW Press.
Solecki, S. (2003). Introduction: The Slight Silver Key. In L.
York (Ed.), English 4N03 (January 2014 ed., pp. 17-
28). Hamilton, ON: McMaster University.
Thesen, S.. R. The Canadian Encyclopedia. (2013). Michael
Ondaatje. Retrieved March 17, 2014 From
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/arti
cle/michael-ondaatje/
York, L. (2014). Lecture 2: Michael Ondaatje. Personal
Collection of L. York, McMaster University, Hamilton,
ON
