Acclaimed The English Patient author discusses his writing process and new novel

Bovard Auditorium buzzed with excitement as devotees of award-winning author Michael Ondaatje waited restlessly to hear him read from his latest novel.

Perhaps most commonly recognized for his acclaimed book The English Patient, Ondaatje is also an accomplished poet, editor and essayist. Born in Sri Lanka and educated in Canada, his honors include the 1992 Golden Man Booker Prize, which recognizes the best novel published in the United Kingdom, and the title of Sri Lanka Ratna, the South Asian country’s highest honor given to foreign nationals.

The March 5 Visions and Voices event began with Ondaatje reading from Warlight, a story of 14-year-old Nathaniel and his sister who are seemingly abandoned by their parents after World War II. A dozen years later, Nathaniel starts to uncover answers to questions he has been posing for years.

Ondaatje followed the reading by discussing his books and his writing process with USC Dornsife Writer in Residence Geoff Dyer. Ondaatje described the research that went into Warlight and traveling to the locations that set the backdrop for the novel.

“The accidental discovery of things is much more interesting than the [original] plan,” said Ondaatje. “The book just evolves along with the research.”