Michael Kaan
Michael Kaan is a Canadian writer, whose debut novel The Water Beetles was published in 2017.[1] The novel, a family saga about a young boy's experience during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, was based in part on Kaan's father's memoirs.[2]
Life
Kaan, the child of a father from Hong Kong and a Canadian mother, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.[3] He completed a degree in English from the University of Manitoba, later completing an MBA in Health Economics from the same institution.[4] He has worked as a healthcare administrator since 2000, primarily in mental health and health research.
Work
The Water Beetles was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction at the 2017 Governor General's Awards,[5] and won the 2018 amazon.ca First Novel Award,[6] the Margaret Laurence Prize for Fiction, and the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Prize.
References
- "Michael Kaan’s spider-silken debut demands second read". Toronto Star, April 30, 2017.
- "Family history splinters in debut novel The Water Beetles". The Georgia Straight, April 19, 2017.
- "Michael Kaan Wins 2018 First Novel Award Presented by Amazon Canada and The Walrus". Cision, May 22, 2018.
- "CBC: Winnipeg author wins $40K national First Novel Award". University of Manitoba, May 23, 2018.
- "Finalists named for 2017 Governor General's Literary Awards". Montreal Gazette, October 4, 2017.
- "Michael Kaan wins Amazon Canada First Novel Award for The Water Beetles". The Globe and Mail, May 22, 2018.