Matt Cohen was born in Kingston, Ontario. He received his master's degree from the University of Toronto and in the late 1960s, he taught political philosophy at McMaster University. Between 1969 and 1999, he published more than 20 books, including novels, short stories, poetry, and two books for children -- an impressive body of work that drew him international admiration and garnered him the Toronto Arts Award. During career he was winner of the Governor Generals' Award for Fiction, a two-time winner of the National Magazine Award for short fiction and was a recipient of the John Glassco Translation Prize. He was also a founding member of the Writers' Union of Canada
