Noted Writer Michael Ondaatje Named 2016 St. Louis Literary Award Recipient
The Saint Louis University Library Associates will present acclaimed writer Michael Ondaatje with the 2016 St. Louis Literary Award at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, in the Wool Ballroom at SLU’s Busch Student Center, 20 N. Grand Boulevard at Laclede Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.
The recognition by the SLU Library Associates will include reading group opportunities, a free screening of The English Patient and “A Conversation with Michael Ondaatje” at the awards presentation.
The Saint Louis University Library Associates will present acclaimed writer Michael Ondaatje with the 2016 St. Louis Literary Award at 7 p.m.Thursday, Oct. 6, in the Wool Ballroom at SLU’s Busch Student Center, 20 N. Grand Boulevard at Laclede Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.
Michael Ondaatje is one of the world’s foremost writers. Although he is best known as a novelist, Ondaatje’s work also encompasses poetry, memoir, and film. His transcendent novel The English Patient became a multiple Academy Award-winning film, including the best picture in 1997.
An award-winning novelist and poet, Ondaatje’s works include The Cat’s Table, Divisadero and In the Skin of a Lion. Ondaatje’s collections of poetry include Secular Love, The Cinnamon Peeler and Handwriting. He has also made two documentary films, Sons of Captain Poetry and The Clinton Special.
Ondaatje is the recipient of several literary prizes, including the Booker Prize for Fiction, the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize and the Irish Times International Prize for Fiction.
Philip Boehm, chair of the literary award selection committee, said the purpose of the St. Louis Literary Award is to recognize a living writer with a substantial body of work available in English who has enriched our literary heritage by deepening our insight into the human condition and expanding the scope of our compassion.
“Michael Ondaatje’s exquisitely intense language stirs our senses, sharpens our intellect, and sparks our imagination.” Boehm said. “He is a master of evoking places as well as people and of summoning the mysteries lurking within each.”
A paid reception with the author will follow in the outdoor amphitheater (weather permitting) just outside the lower level of the Busch Center on the east side of the building. For information on cost and reservations, visit http://lib.slu.edu.
Additional special events include:
Friday, Sept. 30: A special free screening of the film based on Ondaatje’s book The English Patient will be held at 7 p.m. in Boileau Hall, 38 N. Vandeventer at West Pine. Parking is available next to the building. The evening will include free popcorn and lemonade. The event is free and open to the public.
Tuesday, Oct. 4: Participants in a community read of The English Patient will gather at Cupples House to discuss the book and enjoy refreshments. Open to 50 participants, this program is being facilitated by Pius Library Rare Books Librarian Jennifer Lowe and her colleagues. Find additional details online.
Wednesday, Oct. 5: Michael Ondaatje will discuss the Craft of Writing with creative writing students from SLU and other area writing programs. For details, visit lib.slu.edu.
About the St. Louis Literary Award: Established in 1967, the St. Louis Literary Award is presented annually by the Library Associates and has become one of the top literary prizes in the country. The award has recognized some of the most important writers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including W. H. Auden, Saul Bellow, Joan Didion, James A. Michener, Joyce Carol Oates, Tennessee Williams and Jeanette Winterson.
About the Saint Louis University Library Associates: One of the oldest literary and cultural organizations in St. Louis, the Saint Louis University Library Associates seeks to build a closer relationship between the University and the community and to promote an appreciation for the value of literature. The Library Associates work to enhance the visibility of the Saint Louis University Libraries and to support the development of their world-class collections and services. For more information on the SLU Library Associates, visit http://lib.slu.edu/about/associates.