“We die containing a richness of lovers and tribes, tastes we have swallowed, bodies we have plunged into and swum up as if rivers of wisdom, characters we have climbed into as if trees, fears we have hidden in as if caves. I wish for all this to be marked on by body when I am dead. I believe in such cartography - to be marked by nature, not just to label ourselves on a map like the names of rich men and women on buildings. We are communal histories, communal books. We are not owned or monogamous in our taste or experience.”

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About Michael Ondaatje

Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer and essayist

Michael Ondaatje is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, and essayist. He is known for writing across poetry, fiction, and essays, and for the distinctive place he holds in Canadian literature. His work ranges across several literary forms, with poetry at its center and fiction and essays extending his reputation. He is identified with both Sri Lankan and Canadian literary traditions, and his writing has drawn wide attention for its range and style.

More from Michael Ondaatje (75 quotes) →

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Books by Michael Ondaatje

The English Patient

1992

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Divisadero

2007

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Anil's Ghost

2001

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The Cat's Table

2011

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In the Skin of a Lion

1995

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