Sir Christopher Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka, educated inEngland and built a successful career in finance and publishing in Canada. In the early Nineties he sold all his business interests and turned to writing; he has broken new ground as a respected book reviewer and a writer of thought-provoking books dealing with significant biographical, historical and geographical events.

Since 1995 Ondaatje has devoted his time to travelling, writing, and administering The Ondaatje Foundation. He is a life patron of the National Portrait Gallery whose Ondaatje Wing is named after him. The Ondaatje Theatre at The Royal Geographical Society, and The Ondaatje Prize at both The Royal Society of Literature and The Royal Society of Portrait Painters are other major benefactions. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in  June 2000, and awarded a Knighthood in the Queen’s Honours List in June 2003.