Michael Ondaatje is one of the world’s foremost writers – his artistry and aesthetic have influenced an entire generation of writers and readers. Although he is best known as a novelist, Ondaatje’s work also encompasses poetry, memoir, and film, and reveals a passion for defying conventional form. Born in Sri Lanka, the former Ceylon, of Indian/Dutch ancestry, he went to school in England, and then moved to Canada. He is the author of four collections of poetry including The Cinnamon Peeler and most recently, Handwriting. Ondaatje’s work of non-fiction is The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film, which unites his love of literature and passion for the art of filmmaking. His works of fiction include In the Skin of a Lion, The English Patient, Anil’s Ghost, Divisadero, and The Cat’s Table. His next novel will be Warlight (Knopf, May 2018).
Steven Winn is a fiction writer and award-winning arts journalist. Winn spent 28 years at The San Francisco Chronicle, the last six as the Arts and Culture Critic. He is the author of Come Back, Como.