Michael Kaan is a Canadian writer, whose debut novel The Water Beetles was published in 2017."Michael Kaan’s spider-silken debut demands second read". Toronto Star, April 30, 2017. 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."Family history splinters in debut novel The Water Beetles". The Georgia Straight, April 19, 2017.
Life Kaan, the child of a father from Hong Kong and a Canadian mother, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba."Michael Kaan Wins 2018 First Novel Award Presented by Amazon Canada and The Walrus". Cision, May 22, 2018. He completed a degree in English from the University of Manitoba, later completing an MBA in Health Economics from the same institution. 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,"Finalists named for 2017 Governor General's Literary Awards". Montreal Gazette, October 4, 2017. and won the 2018 amazon.ca First Novel Award, the Margaret Laurence Prize for Fiction, and the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Prize.
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