Philip Michael Ondaatje, known professionally as Michael Ondaatje, is a distinguished Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka on September 12, 1943, Ondaatje's literary career took shape in the late 1960s with the publication of his poetry collection The Dainty Monsters, followed by the critically acclaimed The Collected Works of Billy the Kid in 1970.

His international breakthrough came with his novel The English Patient in 1992, which not only garnered significant acclaim but was also adapted into an award-winning film in 1996. The novel's enduring impact was highlighted when it won the prestigious 2018 Golden Man Booker Prize.

Ondaatje's contribution to the literary scene extends beyond his own writing. He has been instrumental in fostering new Canadian writing through his two-decade commitment to Coach House Press in the 1970s and 1980s, and his editorial work, including the journal Brick and the Long Poem Anthology (1979). His status as one of Canada's most prominent living authors is further affirmed by his recognition as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

He attended Bishops College School and Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Quebec, before moving to Toronto where he received his BA from the University of Toronto and his MA from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Ondaatje has also served as a professor of English Literature at York University and Glendon College in Toronto. He is married to novelist and academic Linda Spalding, with whom he co-edits Brick, A Literary Journal, alongside Michael Redhill and others.