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'{{Short description|Canadian novelist}} {{Use Canadian English|date=December 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox writer | name = Yann Martel | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|size=100%|CC}} | image = Yann martel 2007-10-25 Seattle WA USA.jpg | alt = | caption = Martel in 2007 | pseudonym = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1963|06|25}} | birth_place = [[Salamanca]], Spain | occupation = Novelist | alma_mater = [[Trent University]] | period = 1988–present | genre = | subject = | movement = | notableworks = ''[[Life of Pi]]'', ''[[Beatrice and Virgil]]'', ''[[The High Mountains of Portugal]]'' | partner = [[Alice Kuipers]] (2002–present) | relatives = [[Émile Martel (writer)|Émile Martel]] (father) | website = | children = 4 | signature = Yann Martel signature (cropped).jpg }} '''Yann Martel''', {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CC}} (born 25 June 1963) is a Canadian author who wrote the [[Man Booker Prize]]–winning novel ''[[Life of Pi]]'',<ref name=ox>{{cite journal |url = http://www.oxonianreview.org/wp/tigers-and-tall-tales/ |title = Tigers and Tall Tales |last = Dunn |first = Jennifer |journal = The Oxonian Review |volume = 2 |publisher = University of Oxford |issue = 2 |date = 1 March 2003 |access-date =3 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="Booker">{{cite web|url=http://www.themanbookerprize.com/prize/books/42 |title=Life of Pi |publisher=[[Man Booker Prize]] |access-date=31 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202165343/http://themanbookerprize.com/prize/books/42 |archive-date=2 December 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://articles.sfgate.com/2002-10-23/news/17568535_1_yann-martel-novel-pi | title = Canadian wins Booker Prize / 'Life of Pi' is tale of a boy who floats across the ocean from India |author=Kipen, David |date=23 October 2002 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=31 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/donotmigrate/3584451/Life-of-Pi-wins-Booker.html | title = Life of Pi wins Booker |author=Reynolds, Nigel |date=30 September 2002 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK |access-date=3 September 2010 }}</ref> an international bestseller published in more than 50 territories. It has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and spent more than a year on the bestseller lists of the ''New York Times'' and ''The Globe and Mail'', among many other best-selling lists.<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/the-bestsellers-of-2002/article1029255/ The Globe and Mail Bestseller List 2002], ''The Globe and Mail'', 2002. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> ''Life of Pi'' was [[Life of Pi (film)|adapted for a movie]] directed by [[Ang Lee]],<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/feb/25/ang-lee-best-director-oscar-life-of-pi Ang Lee wins best director Oscar for Life of Pi]. ''The Guardian'' online. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref><ref>Hiscock, John (19 December 2012). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmmakersonfilm/9728119/Ang-Lee-interview-how-he-filmed-the-unfilmable-for-Life-of-Pi.html "Ang Lee, interview: how he filmed the unfilmable for Life of Pi"]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved 19 January 2015.</ref> garnering four Oscars including Best Director<ref>{{cite news|last=Brooks|first=Xan|title=Ang Lee wins best director Oscar for Life of Pi|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/feb/25/ang-lee-best-director-oscar-life-of-pi|access-date=17 October 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=25 February 2013}}</ref><ref>Brooks, Xan (5 February 2013).[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/feb/25/ang-lee-best-director-oscar-life-of-pi Ang Lee wins best director Oscar for Life of Pi]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 1 April 2016.</ref> and winning the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score]].<ref>[http://www.classicfm.com/composers/danna/news/mychael-danna-wins-best-soundtrack-oscar/#di6Y11MZitxVjoar.97 Mychael Danna Wins Best Soundtrack Oscar for Life of Pi]. Classic fm online, 25 February 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2016.</ref> Martel is also the author of the novels ''[[The High Mountains of Portugal]]'',<ref name="Knopf">[http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/242201/high-mountains-portugal Knopf Canada: The High Mountains of Portugal]. Penguin Random House site. Retrieved 24 March 2016.</ref><ref name="WP Charles">Charles, Ron (21 January 2016).[https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/yann-martels-the-high-mountains-of-portugal-is-his-best-since-life-of-pi/2016/01/21/59ba6f30-c04f-11e5-83d4-42e3bceea902_story.html Yann Martel's 'The High Mountains of Portugal' is his best since 'Life of Pi']. The Washington Post, Book World. Retrieved 24 March 2016.</ref> ''[[Beatrice and Virgil]]'',<ref name=Barber>Barber, John. [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/yann-martels-post-modern-holocaust-allegory-fetches-3-million-advance/article1525641/ "Martel's post-modern Holocaust allegory fetches $3-million advance"], ''The Globe and Mail'', 6 April 2010.</ref><ref>Woog, Adam. [http://seattletimes.com/html/books/2011607590_br18martel.html 'Beatrice and Virgil': Yann Martel's haunting fable of humans, animals and violence], ''The Seattle Times'', 17 April 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2015.</ref><ref>Wyndham, Susan. [http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainment/archives/undercover/022391.html Books To Watch in 2010], ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 9 January 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2015.</ref> and ''[[Self (novel)|Self]]'',<ref name="Saskatoon Star Phoenix">{{Cite news |url=http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/third_page/story.html?id=bc008e62-a986-43aa-b508-16eeef466135 |title=Martel protests level of arts funding by sending PM books |date=17 April 2002 |publisher=Saskatoon Star Phoenix |access-date=30 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107124210/http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/third_page/story.html?id=bc008e62-a986-43aa-b508-16eeef466135 |archive-date=7 November 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Toronto Star |title=6 compete for first novel award |date=28 March 1997 |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/16755150.html?dids=16755150:16755150&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+28%2C+1997&author=&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=6+compete+for+first+novel+award&pqatl=google}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/19206092.html?dids=19206092:19206092&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+04%2C+1996&author=By+Philip+Marchand+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=An+unforgettable+exploration+of+a+self&pqatl=google |date=4 May 1996 |first=Philip |last=Marchand |title=An unforgettable exploration of a self |access-date=30 November 2009 }}</ref> the collection of stories ''[[The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios]]'', and a [[collection of letters]] to Canada's Prime Minister ''[[101 Letters to a Prime Minister]]''.<ref name="Saskatoon Star Phoenix" /> He has won a number of literary prizes, including the 2001 Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction<ref name="MacLennan Prize">[http://quebecbooks.qwf.org/awards/year/2001 Winner of The Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction 2001.] QWF Literary Database of Quebec English-Language Authors. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref><ref name="BC Yann">[https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/yann-martel British Council, Yann Martel Biography.] British Council, Literature. Retrieved 1 April 2016.</ref> and the 2002 [[Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature]].<ref name="APALA">[http://www.apalaweb.org/awards/literature-awards/winners/2001-2003-awards/ 2001–2003 Asian Pacific American Awards for Literature]. Cooperative Children's Book Centre, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref> Martel lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with writer [[Alice Kuipers]] and their four children.<ref>[http://www.saskatoonlibrary.ca/node/846 Saskatoon Public Library, Collections Connections]. Saskatoon Public Library site. Retrieved 30 December 2014.</ref><ref name="Chatelaine">Black, Grant (27 May 2011). [http://www.chatelaine.com/living/alice-kuipers-a-woman-of-style-and-substance/ Alice Kuipers: "A Woman of Style and Substance"]. ''Chatelaine Magazine'', Canada. Retrieved 21 July 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.quillandquire.com/authors/life-after-pi/ Life After Pi]. Quill & Quire. Retrieved 25 March 2016.</ref> His first language is French, but he writes in English.<ref>[http://www.quoterature.com/yann-martel-quotes Quoterature]. Martel entry. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref> == Early life == Martel was born in [[Salamanca]], Spain, in 1963 to French-Canadians [[Émile Martel (writer)|Émile Martel]] and Nicole Perron who were studying at the [[University of Salamanca]].<ref name="BC Yann" /> His mother was enrolled in Hispanic studies while his father was working on a PhD on Spanish writer [[Miguel de Unamuno]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=kucUAQAAIAAJ&q=Nicole+Perron+Martel&dq=Nicole+Perron+Martel&hl=en&redir_esc=y Google Books, Twenty-first-century Canadian writers'']</ref> The family moved to [[Coimbra]], Portugal, soon after his birth, then to [[Madrid]], Spain, then to [[Fairbanks]], [[Alaska]], and finally to [[Victoria, British Columbia]]; his father taught at the Universities of Alaska and Victoria.<ref name="parents">[http://www.le-mot-juste-en-anglais.com/2013/07/traducteur-et-traductrice-du-mois-de-juillet.html Émile Martel et Nicole Perron Martel]. le-mot-juste-en-anglais.com. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> His parents joined the Canadian foreign service,<ref name="parents" /> and he was raised in [[San José, Costa Rica]], Paris, France, and Madrid, Spain, with stints in [[Ottawa]], Ontario, in between postings.<ref>[http://www.academiedeslettresduquebec.ca/membres/emile-martel-94 L'Académie des lettres du Québec]. L'Académie des lettres du Québec. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.litterature.org/recherche/ecrivains/martel-emile-330/ L'ÎLE, l'Infocentre littéraire des écrivains]. L'ÎLE, l'Infocentre littéraire des écrivains. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> Martel completed his final two years of high school at [[Trinity College School]] in [[Port Hope, Ontario]],<ref name="Understanding">Brown, Mick (1 June 2010). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/7793416/Yann-Martel-in-search-of-understanding.html Yann Martel: in search of understanding]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.tcs.on.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=222&Itemid=462 Notable Alumni]. TCS Ontario. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref> and he completed an undergraduate degree in philosophy at [[Trent University]] in [[Peterborough, Ontario]].<ref name="BC Yann" /><ref>{{Cite press release |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-14040695_ITM |title=Mann Booker Prize Winner and Author of Life of Pi Yann Martel Returns to Trent on March 31 |date=28 March 2006 |access-date=30 November 2009 }}</ref> Martel worked at odd jobs as an adult, including as a parking lot attendant in Ottawa, a dishwasher in a tree-planting camp in northern Ontario, and a security guard at the Canadian embassy in Paris. He also travelled through Mexico, South America, Iran, Turkey, and India.<ref>[https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/yann-martel British Council Literature: Yann Martel]. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.library.nashville.org/NashvilleReads/LifeofPi_AuthorBio_Synopsis.pdf Nashville Public Library: Yann Martel]. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/yann-martel/ Canadian Encyclopedia: Yann Martel]. Canadian Encyclopedia online. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> He started writing while he was at university, writing plays and short stories that were "blighted by immaturity and dreadful", as he describes them.<ref>[http://www.trentu.ca/newsevents/newsDetail.php?newsId=14967 Best-Selling Author and Trent Alum Yann Martel Launches New Book]. Trent University News. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtTtUU1aD2g Trent Luminary – Yann Martel]. Trent University Youtube Channel. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/books/2016/02/magic-8-yann-martel.html Yann Martel on why Life of Pi didn't make him a better writer]. CBC Books. Retrieved 25 March 2016.</ref> Martel moved to [[Saskatoon]], [[Saskatchewan]], with Kuipers in 2003.<ref name="Chatelaine" /><ref>[http://www.montana.edu/convocation/2013/ 2013 Montanan State University, Freshman Convocation and Summer Reading 2013]. Montanan State University. Retrieved 25 March 2016.</ref> == Career == Martel's work first appeared in print in 1988 in ''[[The Malahat Review]]'' with his short story ''Mister Ali and the Barrelmaker''.<ref>[http://www.malahatreview.ca/issues/featured/issue84.html The 50 Issues Project, Issue #84]. [[The Malahat Review]]. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> The Malahat Review also published in 1990 his short story ''The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios'', for which he won the 1991 [[Journey Prize]] and which was included in the 1991–1992 [[Pushcart Prize]] Anthology.<ref>[http://www.malahatreview.ca/documents/brochure.pdf "Brochure"]. The Malahat Review. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> In 1992, the Malahat brought out his short story ''The Time I Heard the Private Donald J. Rankin String Concerto with One Discordant Violin, by the American Composer John Morton'', for which he won a [[National Magazine Award]] gold.<ref>[http://openjour.uvic.ca/index.php/malahat/article/view/3883 Encyclopedia.com: Yann Martel]. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> The cultural magazine ''Border Crossings'' published his short story ''Industrial Grandeur'' in 1993.<ref>[http://bordercrossingsmag.com/magazine/issue/issue-47 Border Crossings: Issue 47]. Border Crossings. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> That same year, a bookstore in Ottawa that hosted Martel for a reading issued a handcrafted, limited edition of some of his stories, ''Seven Stories''.<ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/title/seven-stories/oclc/35941554 worldcat.org: Seven Stories]. WorldCat libraries. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> Martel credits [[The Canada Council for the Arts]] for playing a key role in fostering his career, awarding him writing grants in 1991 and 1997. In the author's note of his novel ''Life of Pi'', he thanked them and wrote: "… If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams."<ref name="CCA1">[http://canadacouncil.ca/council/artists/y/yann-martel Canada Council for the Arts: Yann Martel]. Canada Council for the Arts. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref><ref name="CCA2">[http://www.oknovels.com/life-pi?page=0%2525252C114,3 OK Novels: Excerpt, Life of Pi]. OK Novels. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> In 1993, [[Knopf Canada]] published a collection of four of Martel's short stories: ''[[The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios]]'', the eponymous story, as well as ''The Time I Heard the Private Donald J. Rankin String Concerto...'', ''Manners of Dying'', and The Vita Aeterna Mirror Company. On first publication, the collection appeared in Canada, the UK, France, Netherlands, Italy, and Germany. Martel's first novel, ''[[Self (novel)|Self]]'', appeared in 1996. It was published in Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany.<ref>[http://www.quillandquire.com/review/self-a-novel/ Quill & Quire: Self, A Novel]. Quill & Quire. Retrieved 23 March 2016.</ref> Martel's second novel ''Life of Pi'', was published on 11 September 2001, and was awarded the [[Man Booker Prize]] in 2002, among other awards, and became a bestseller, spending 61 weeks on [[The New York Times Bestseller List]]. Martel had been in New York the previous day, leaving on the evening of the 10th for Toronto to make the publication of his novel the next morning.<ref name="ox" /><ref name="NYT 61">Rule, Matt (22 August 2013).[http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/special_section/msu-survival-guide-2013/life-of-pi-author-to-speak-at-freshman-convocation/article_7bfc1188-799a-5a58-a195-28c36c85899b.html Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Montana State University Survival Guide]. Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Montana State University. Retrieved 25 January 2015.</ref> He was inspired in part to write a story about sharing a lifeboat with a wild animal after reading a review of the novella ''[[Max and the Cats]]'' by Brazilian author [[Moacyr Scliar]] in [[The New York Times Book Review]]. Martel received some criticism from Brazilian press for failing to consult with [[Life of Pi#Moacyr Scliar|Scliar]].<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/08/bookerprize2002.awardsandprizes |title = Booker winner in plagiarism row |newspaper =[[The Guardian]] |date = November 2002 |access-date = 5 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/livrariadafolha/1218896-autor-de-as-aventuras-de-pi-e-suspeito-de-plagiar-brasileiro.shtml |title = Autor de 'As Aventuras de Pi' é suspeito de plagiar brasileiro (portuguese) |date = January 2013 |newspaper = [[Folha de S.Paulo]] |access-date = 13 February 2013}}</ref> Martel pointed out that he could not have stolen from a work he had not yet read, and he willingly acknowledged being influenced by the New York Times review of Scliar's work and thanked him in the author's note of ''Life of Pi''.<ref name="CCA1" /><ref name="CCA2" /><ref>Hemminger, Peter (13 March, 2106). [https://calgaryherald.com/life/swerve/the-poseurs-guide-to-yann-martel The Poseurs Guide to Yann Martel]. Calgary Herald. Retrieved 24 March 2016.</ref><ref>Simas, Shed (12 July 2014). [http://www.shedsimas.com/on-life-of-pi-plagiarism-and-media/ On Life of Pi, Plagiarism and the Media]. Shed Simas. Retrieved 24 March 2016.</ref> ''Life of Pi'' was later chosen for the 2003 edition of [[CBC Radio]]'s ''[[Canada Reads]]'' competition, where it was championed by author [[Nancy Lee (writer)|Nancy Lee]].<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/books/booksandauthors/2010/08/life-of-pi.html Life of Pi was defended by Nancy Lee on Canada Reads 2003]. CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation): Books. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref> Its French translation, ''Histoire de Pi'', was included in the debut French version of the competition ''[[Le combat des livres]]'' in 2004, championed by singer [[Louise Forestier]].{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} Martel was the Samuel Fischer Visiting Professor at the Institute of Comparative Literature, [[Free University of Berlin]] in 2002, where he taught a course titled "The Animal in Literature".<ref>[https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/presse/informationen/fup/2010/fup_10_085/index.html Tomas Venclova Is Latest Samuel Fischer Visiting Professor at Freie Universität Berlin]. Freie Universität Berlin Presse. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref> He then spent a year in [[Saskatoon, Saskatchewan]], from September 2003 as the [[Saskatoon Public Library]]'s writer-in-residence.<ref>[http://www.saskatoonlibrary.ca/node/480 Writers in Residence at Saskatoon Public Library, 1981–2013] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408063113/http://www.saskatoonlibrary.ca/node/480 |date=8 April 2013 }}. Saskatoon Public Library: Collections, Connections. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref> He collaborated with [[Omar Daniel]], composer-in-residence at the Royal Conservatory of Music in [[Toronto]], on a piece for piano, string quartet and bass. The composition, ''You Are Where You Are'', is based on text written by Martel, which incorporates parts of cellphone conversations from an ordinary day.<ref>[http://www.rcmusic.ca/media/news-releases/arc-premieres-new-work-europe ARC Premieres New Work in Europe]. The Royal Conservatory, Canada, News Release, 28 October 2004. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.arcensemble.com/recordings.php ARC Ensemble: Recordings, Concert Excerpts]. ARC Ensemble (Artists of The Royal Conservatory) Recordings. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref> From 2005 to 2007, Martel was visiting scholar at the [[University of Saskatchewan]].<ref>[http://www.arts.usask.ca/news/n/3/Yann_Martel_Appointed_as_a_Visiting_Scholar_in_English Yann Martel Appointed as a Visiting Scholar in English]. University of Saskatchewan, College of Arts & Science, News & Events. Retrieved 1 April 2016.</ref><ref>Will, Joanne (Summer 2008). [http://nuvomagazine.com/magazine/summer-2008/yann-martel Yann Martel: Life of Yann]. Nuvo Magazine. Retrieved 1 April 2016.</ref> ''[[Beatrice and Virgil]]'', his third novel, came out in 2010.<ref name="Barber" /> The work is an allegorical take on the [[Holocaust]], attempting to approach the period not through the lens of historical witness, but through imaginative synthesis.<ref>Multiple sources: * Lasdun, James (5 June 2010). [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/jun/05/beatrice-and-virgil-yann-martel Yann Martel's follow-up to Life of Pi is a risky fable about genocide]. ''The Guardian'', UK, 5 June 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2016. *Lo Dico, Joy (29 May 2010). [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/beatrice-and-virgil-by-yann-martel-1984399.html Independent Reviews: Beatrice and Virgil]. ''The Independent'', UK, 29 May 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2016. *Ciabattari, Jane (10 April 2010). [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126022215 NPR Reviews: Beatrice and Virgil]. NPR, 10 April 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2016.</ref> The main characters in the story are a writer, a taxidermist, and two stuffed animals: a red [[howler monkey]] and a donkey.<ref>Malla, Pasha (9 April 2010).[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/review-beatrice-virgil-by-yann-martel/article4315308/ "Fiction, or is it?"]. ''The Globe & Mail'', Canada, 9 April 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2015.</ref> From 2007 to 2011, Martel ran a book club with the then [[Prime Minister of Canada]], [[Stephen Harper]], sending the Prime Minister a book every two weeks for four years, a total of more than a hundred novels, plays, poetry collections, graphic novels and children's books.<ref name="GM Yann hears">Adams, James (9 June 2009). [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/yann-martel-hears-from-harper----finally/article4275782/ The Globe and Mail: Yann Martel hears from Harper('s team)]. ''The Globe and Mail''. Retrieved 24 March 2016.</ref><ref>Smith, Joanna (1 February 2011).[https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2011/02/01/yann_martel_shuts_down_harper_book_club.html Yann Martel shuts down Harper book club]. The Star online. Retrieved 24 March 2016.</ref> The letters were published as a book in 2012, ''[[101 Letters to a Prime Minister]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Canadian novelist Yann Martel mailed a book to Prime Minister Stephen Harper twice a month for the past four years|url = https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2011/02/01/yann_martel_shuts_down_harper_book_club.html|newspaper = Toronto Star|date = 1 February 2011|access-date = 18 February 2016|issn = 0319-0781|first = Joanna|last = Smith}}</ref><ref>[https://ipolitics.ca/2012/11/28/101-letters-to-a-prime-minister-yann-martel-opens-up-his-book-club/ 101 Letters to a Prime Minister: Yann Martel opens up his book club]. ipolitics.com. Retrieved 24 March 2016.</ref> The Polish magazine ''[[Histmag]]'' cited him as the inspiration behind their giving of ten books to the Prime Minister [[Donald Tusk]], which had been donated by their publishers and selected by readers of the magazine. Tusk reacted very positively.<ref>{{cite web|title=Premier odebrał książki od internautów!|url=http://histmag.org/Premier-odebral-ksiazki-od-internautow-5524|website=Histmag|access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Martel was invited to be a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Literature]] in 2014.<ref>[http://rsliterature.org/fellows/current-fellows/ Royal Society of Literature, List Current Fellows] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729090322/https://rsliterature.org/fellows/current-fellows/ |date=29 July 2017 }}. Royal Society of Literature, London, UK, 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.</ref> He sat on the Board of Governors of the [[Saskatoon Public Library]] from 2010 to 2015.<ref>Multiple sources: *[http://nationtalk.ca/story/saskatoon-public-library-announces-2010-board Saskatoon Public Library Announces 2010 Board]. Saskatoon Public Library, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, 2 June 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2016. *[http://204.83.241.21/about/leadership Leadership Saskatoon Public Library]. Saskatoon Public Library, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Retrieved 31 March 2016. *[http://www.saskatoonlibrary.ca/about/leadership Leadership Saskatoon Public Library, Past Board Meeting Minutes] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328063846/http://saskatoonlibrary.ca/about/leadership |date=28 March 2016 }}. Saskatoon Public Library, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Retrieved 31 March 2016.</ref> His fourth novel, ''[[The High Mountains of Portugal]]'', was published on 2 February 2016.<ref name="Knopf" /><ref name="WP Charles" /> It tells of three characters in Portugal in three different time periods, who cope with love and loss each in their own way.<ref name="NYT Broida">Broida, Mike (12 February 2016).[https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/14/books/review/the-high-mountains-of-portugal-by-yann-martel.html?_r=0 The New York Times Sunday Book Review: The High Mountains of Portugal]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved 25 March 2016.</ref><ref>Zimmerman, Jean (5 February 2016).[https://www.npr.org/2016/02/05/463861486/confronting-loss-while-scaling-the-high-mountains-of-portugal NPR Book Review: Confronting Loss While Scaling 'The High Mountains Of Portugal']. NPR. Retrieved 25 March 2016.</ref> It made The New York Times Bestseller list within the first month of its release.<ref name="NYT 2016">[https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2016-02-28/hardcover-fiction/list.html New York Times Bestseller List, February 28, 2016: The High Mountains of Portugal]. New York Times Bestseller List online. Retrieved 25 March 2016.</ref> == Published works == * ''Seven Stories'' (1993) * ''[[The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios]]'' (Collection of four short stories, including the title story) (1993) * ''[[Self (novel)|Self]]'' (1996) * ''[[Life of Pi]]'' (2001) * ''We Ate the Children Last'' (Short story) (2004) * ''[[Beatrice and Virgil]]'' (2010) * ''[[101 Letters to a Prime Minister]]: The Complete Letters to Stephen Harper'' (2012) ** The first 55 book suggestions are available as ''What is Stephen Harper Reading?'' (2009) * ''[[The High Mountains of Portugal]]'' (2016) == Awards and accolades == === ''The High Mountains of Portugal'' === * [[New York Times Bestseller]] 2016<ref name="NYT 2016" /> === ''Beatrice and Virgil'' === * [[New York Times Bestseller]] 2010<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2010-05-02/hardcover-fiction/list.html Best Sellers], ''The New York Times'', 2 May 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref> * ''[[Boston Globe]]'' Bestseller<ref>[http://www.boston.com/ae/books/blog/2010/04/boston_globe_be_6.html Best Sellers], ''Boston Globe''. ''Boston Globe'', Off The Shelf, 23 April 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2015.</ref> * ''[[L.A. Times]]'' Bestseller<ref>[http://projects.latimes.com/bestsellers/authors/yann-martel/ Best Sellers], ''Los Angeles Times'', 29 May 2010. Retrieve 14 January 2015.</ref> * ''[[Minneapolis Star Tribune]]'' Bestseller<ref>[http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/books/95065859.html Local Best Sellers], ''Star Tribune'', 2 May 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2015.</ref> * National No. 1 Bestseller in [[Maclean's]]<ref>[http://www.macleans.ca/authors/brian-bethune/bestsellers-80/ Macleans Best Sellers]. ''Maclean's'', Week of 14 June 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2015.</ref> * No. 1 Bestseller in ''[[The Toronto Star]]''<ref>Wagner, Vit (7 April 2010). [https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2010/04/07/life_of_pi_writer_yann_martel_returns_with_new_book.html "Life of Pi writer Yann Martel returns with new book"]. ''Toronto Star'', Entertainment / Books, 7 April 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2015.</ref> * Longlisted for The 2012 [[International Dublin Literary Award]]<ref>[http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/2012-longlist/ International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award Long List 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209211419/http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/2012-longlist/ |date=9 December 2014 }}. International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2015.</ref> * ''[[Financial Times]]'' 2010 Fiction of the Year<ref>Blau, Rosie (3 December 2010). [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/6bfb59f8-fe61-11df-845b-00144feab49a.html FT Fiction Round-up 2010]. ''Financial Times'', Fiction Round-up 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2015.</ref> === ''Life of Pi'' === * Winner of the 2002 [[Man Booker Prize]] for Fiction<ref name="Booker" /><ref>[http://www.bookweb.org/news/life-pi-wins-2002-man-booker-prize-fiction Life of Pi Wins 2002 Man Booker Prize for Fiction]. American Booksellers Association, Bookselling This Week. Retrieved 25 January 2015.</ref><ref name="Numbers">Scott, Catherine (25 February 2013). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/9892360/Oscars-2013-Life-of-Pi-a-book-in-numbers.html 'Life of Pi' author to speak at freshman convocation]. Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Montana State University Survival Guide. Retrieved 25 January 2015.</ref> * [[New York Times Bestseller List]] 2002–03 (61 weeks)<ref name="NYT 61" /> * Winner of the [[Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature]] 2002<ref name="APALA" /><ref name="Numbers" /> * Winner of the [[Hugh MacLennan]] Prize for Fiction 2001<ref name="MacLennan Prize" /><ref name="Numbers" /> * Winner of [[Exclusive Books Boeke Prize|The Boeke Prize]] 2003 (South Africa)<ref name="Numbers" /> * Winner of the [[Deutscher Bücherpreis]], 2004 * Winner of the La Presse Prix du Grand Public 2003<ref>[http://www.gallimard-jeunesse.fr/Catalogue/GALLIMARD-JEUNESSE/Bibliotheque-Gallimard-Jeunesse/L-Histoire-de-Pi Life Of Pi entry]. Bibliothèque Gallimard Jeunesse – Livres. Retrieved 1 February 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.editionsxyz.com/catalogue/563.html ''Life Of Pi'' entry]. Les Éditions XYZ Catalogue. Retrieved 1 February 2015.</ref> * Winner in the Scene It Read It category of the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2014<ref>[http://www.coventry.gov.uk/blog/bookawards2014/post/292/scene-it-read-it-life-of-pi Scene It Read It – Life Of Pi]. Coventry City Council site. Retrieved 26 January 2015.</ref> * A [[Quill & Quire]] Best Book of 2001<ref>[http://www.quillandquire.com/omni/best-books-of-2001/ Quill & Quire Best Books 2001]. Quill & Quire, Canada Books. Retrieved 1 February 2015.</ref> === 'The Facts behind the Helsinki Roccamatios' (short story) === * Winner of the 1991 [[Journey Prize]] == Film adaptations == * [[Life of Pi (film)|''Life of Pi'']], directed by Ang Lee in 2012 and won multiple [[List of accolades received by Life of Pi|awards]].<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454876/ ''Life of Pi''] at IMDb. Retrieved 26 January 2015.</ref> Martel makes a brief appearance as an extra, sitting on a park bench across a pond while [[Irrfan Khan]] (Pi) and [[Rafe Spall]] (playing Yann Martel) converse.<ref>Barber, John (14 January 2013). [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/life-after-pi-how-yann-martels-moved-on-from-his-book-and-oscar-worthy-film/article7342707/ "Life after Pi: How Yann Martel's moved on from his book and Oscar-worthy film"]. ''The Globe & Mail'' online. Retrieved 26 January 2015.</ref><ref>Medley, Mark (21 November 2012). [http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/11/21/a-qa-with-life-of-pi-author-yann-martel-overall-i-think-its-a-wonderful-companion-piece/ Life of Pi author Yann Martel: "Overall, I think it's a wonderful companion piece"]. ''National Post''. Retrieved 26 January 2015.</ref><ref>Lederhouse, Craig (30 July 2012). [http://www.cbc.ca/books/2012/07/yann-martel-on-the-life-of-pi-trailer.html Yann Martel on the ''Life of Pi'' trailer]. CBC Books, First aired on The Afternoon Edition (26/7/12). Retrieved 26 January 2015.</ref> * His short story ''[[We Ate the Children Last]]'' was adapted as an independent film by [[Andrew Cividino]].<ref>[http://www.library.nashville.org/nashvillereads/lifeofpi_authorbio_synopsis.pdf Yann Martel Author Bio]. Nashville Reads. Retrieved 23 January 2015.</ref> * ''[[Manners of Dying]]'', directed by Jeremy Peter Allen in 2004.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435181/ ''Manners of Dying''] at IMDb. Retrieved 23 January 2015.</ref> * [[The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios#The Facts behind the Helsinki Roccamatios|''The Facts behind the Helsinki Roccamatios'']] == Theatrical adaptations == * ''Beatrice and Virgil'', adapted by Lindsay Cochrane and directed by [[Sarah Garton Stanley]] at the Factory Theatre, Toronto in 2013.<ref>[http://www.factorytheatre.ca/extra-information/201314-season/beatrice-and-virgil/ Beatrice and Virgil at the Factory Theatre]. Factory Theatre, 12 April – 11 May 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2015.</ref> * [[The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios#The Facts behind the Helsinki Roccamatios|'The Facts behind the Helsinki Roccamatios']] * ''Life of Pi'', adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti and directed by Max Webster at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. This adaptation uses puppets controlled by the cast to represent the animals from the story. It ran from 28 June to 20 July 2019. == Influences == Martel has said in a number of interviews that [[Dante]]'s ''[[Divine Comedy]]'' is the single most impressive book he has ever read. In talking about his most memorable childhood book, he recalls ''[[Le Petit Chose]]'' by [[Alphonse Daudet]]. He said that he read it when he was ten years old, and it was the first time he found a book so heartbreaking that it moved him to tears.<ref>[http://www.abebooks.com/docs/authors-corner/yann-martel.shtml Exclusive Interview – Life of Yann Martel]. Abe Books. Retrieved 2013.</ref> His writing influences include [[Dante Alighieri]], [[Franz Kafka]], [[Joseph Conrad]], [[Nikolai Gogol]], [[Sinclair Lewis]], [[Moacyr Scliar]],<ref>{{cite journal |url = http://eng4ui.pbworks.com/f/the_empathetic_imagination.pdf |title = The Empathetic Imagination – An Interview with Yann Martel |last = Sielkl |first = Sabine |journal = [[Canadian Literature (journal)|Canadian Literature]] |issue = 177 |publisher = [[University of British Columbia]] Press |year = 2003 |access-date = 3 February 2011}}</ref> [[Thomas Hardy]], [[Leo Tolstoy]], [[Alphonse Daudet]],<ref name="abebooks">{{cite web |url = http://www.abebooks.co.uk/docs/authors-corner/yann-martel.shtml |title = Exclusive Interview – Life of Yann Martel |publisher = [[AbeBooks]] |access-date = 3 February 2011 |archive-date = 18 September 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200918212616/https://www.abebooks.co.uk/docs/authors-corner/yann-martel.shtml |url-status = dead }}</ref> [[J.M. Coetzee]] and [[Knut Hamsun]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.readersvoice.com/interviews/2009/01/yann-martel-author-of-life-of-pi/ |title = Yann Martel author of Life of Pi |last = Sandall |first = Simon |publisher = readersvoice.com |date = 10 January 2009 |access-date =3 February 2011}}</ref> == Honours == {{center| [[File:Order of Canada (CC) ribbon bar.svg|112px]] }} {| class="wikitable" |- style="background:silver; text-align:center;" |Ribbon || Description || Notes |- |[[File:Order of Canada (CC) ribbon bar.svg|80px]] || Companion of the [[Order of Canada]] (C.C.) || * Awarded on December 29, 2021, Invested on November 17, 2022. * For his contribution to literature and for his philanthropic commitment to the betterment of his region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/146-10918|title=Mr. Yann Martel|website=The Governor General of Canada|access-date=December 29, 2021}}</ref> |} == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == {{Wikiquote|Yann Martel}} {{Library resources box|by=yes|about=no}} * {{British council|id=yann-martel|name=Yann Martel}} * {{OL author}} * Archives of Yann Martel http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=3721039&lang=eng [Yann Martel fonds, R15931)] are held at [[Library and Archives Canada]] {{Booker Prize}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Martel, Yann}} [[Category:1963 births]] [[Category:Booker Prize winners]] [[Category:Canadian male short story writers]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature]] [[Category:Canadian male novelists]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Salamanca]] [[Category:Trent University alumni]] [[Category:Writers from Saskatoon]] [[Category:20th-century Canadian novelists]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian novelists]] [[Category:20th-century Canadian short story writers]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian short story writers]] [[Category:20th-century Canadian male writers]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian male writers]] [[Category:Companions of the Order of Canada]]'