PEN World Voices: Adventures in the Skin Trade: Colum McCann & Michael Ondaatje in conversation

May 4, 2008

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Colum McCann meets with Michael Ondaatje at a very public fireplace.

Come hear these two best-selling authors both of whom are often spoken of as "international mongrels" in the sense that their backgrounds and their range of literary influences are cast extraordinarily wide. "We get our voice from the voices of others," says McCann, "and Ondaatje has long been a hero of mine." This is a fireside chat that promises to be offbeat, informal, unrehearsed and thrillingly passionate.

photo of Colum McCann by James Higgins and photo of Michael Ondaatje by AFP Photo/Mauricio Lima

This event is co-sponsored by PEN American Center in association with:

 

 

About Colum McCann

Colum McCann is the author of four novels and two collections of stories. He has received numerous international awards for his fiction, as well as a 2005 Oscar nomination for his short film "Everything in This Country Must." His novels have been published in 28 languages. His latest, Zoli, was published in 2007. McCann was a Fellow at The New York Public Library's Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers during 2004-2005.

 

   

 

About Michael Ondaatje

Michael Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka. He is the author of many works of fiction, poetry, and memoir, including The English Patient, which won the Booker Prize in 1992; Running in the Family; and Coming Through Slaughter. He won the Governor General's Award for two of his poetry books, The Collected Works of Billy the Kid and There's a Trick with a Knife I'm Learning To Do. His most recent work is Divisadero, a novel. He currently resides in Toronto.