Biography
Wayne Ng’s characters, whether they’re an ancient philosopher, a son of immigrants, or a single mother on the run, are deeply layered and complex. They struggle to find themselves and comprehend a world gone amok. Their stories of self-discovery are universal and captivating with authenticity and edge.
Short Bio
Wayne Ng was born in Anishinaabe land in what is commonly known as downtown Toronto to Chinese immigrants who fed him a steady diet of bitter melon and kung fu movies. Ng is a social worker who lives to write, travel, eat, and play, preferably all at the same time. He is an award-winning author and traveller who continues to push his boundaries from the Arctic to the Antarctic. He lives in Ottawa with his wife and goldfish.
Ng is the author of The Family Code, finalist for the Ottawa Book Award and the Guernica Prize; Letters From Johnny, winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best Crime Novella and finalist for the Ottawa Book Award; and Johnny Delivers.
Connect with Ng on social media and at waynengwrites.com
In-Depth Bio
Wayne is Born…The son of Chinese immigrants, and a chronic daydreamer, Wayne was born and raised in eclectic downtown Toronto. Amidst American draft dodgers, new Canadians and a city forever insecure, looking for solid ground seemed to be the order of the day. While Toronto teemed with the richness of people from wherever, it wasn’t until he left to travel that terra firma was found. Returning to Canada fifteen months later, he soon moved to Ottawa for graduate school and never left. There he turned his dreams into writing and more travels.
Wayne Writes…Wayne is an award-winning novelist and short story writer. His works include Letters From Johnny, which won the best crime novella of the year in 2022 by the Crime Writers of Canada, is about a how a lonely Toronto boy’s life spirals after a neighbour is murdered amidst the FLQ crisis. His only solace are Letters to Dave Keon of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The sequel, Johnny Delivers, will be published Nov 1, 2024. In The Family Code, which was a finalist for the Ottawa Book Award and ranked among the best fiction of 2023 by 49th Shelf and The Miramichi Reader, Wayne channels his thirty years as a social worker in this raw and visceral tale of Hannah Belenko, a single mother perpetually just hanging on.
Wayne Travels…Wayne believes the human experience is vast and best lived on the road less traveled. Or just anywhere that isn’t predictable and staid. To that end some of his more poignant moments have been off the beaten path. Sometimes his writing wins him more travel. His photo-blog about a family trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos won him a trip to the Antarctic.
Wayne Works…Wayne is drawn to the eternal possibility of a greater good, of noble ideas, a simpler world and heroic but tragic figures. While the real world often collides with such notions, three decades as a social worker speaks to this desire to seek a better world, one family at a time.
Wayne Plays…Always on the go, Wayne can be found mountain biking, hiking, canoeing, skiing or just hanging out with his wife, Trish and the goldfish and frogs in their small backyard pond. He is an inventive cook and loves to share his creations with friends and family.
