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,[7] and the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Prize.[8]

References

1. "Michael Kaan’s spider-silken debut demands second read". Toronto Star, April 30, 2017.
2. "Family history splinters in debut novel The Water Beetles". The Georgia Straight, April 19, 2017.
3. "Michael Kaan Wins 2018 First Novel Award Presented by Amazon Canada and The Walrus". Cision, May 22, 2018.
4. "CBC: Winnipeg author wins $40K national First Novel Award". University of Manitoba, May 23, 2018.
5. "Finalists named for 2017 Governor General's Literary Awards". Montreal Gazette, October 4, 2017.
6. "Michael Kaan wins Amazon Canada First Novel Award for The Water Beetles". The Globe and Mail, May 22, 2018.
7. "Meet the 2019 CBC Short Story Prize readers".
8. "Manitoba Book Award SHORTLIST". uofmpress.ca. Retrieved 2023-12-17.