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 Letters From Johnny (winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best Crime Novella and Ottawa Book Award finalist); Johnny Delivers (recommended by The Globe and Mail and CBC Books); The Family Code (Ottawa Book Award and Guernica Prize finalist).
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.
After fifteen months abroad, he returned to Canada, moved to Ottawa for graduate school, and never left. There, he transformed his dreams into stories and wanderlust into even more adventures.
Wayne Writes…Wayne is an award-winning novelist and short story writer. His works include Letters From Johnny, winner of the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best Crime Novella, which follows a lonely Toronto boy whose life unravels after a neighbor’s murder during the FLQ crisis—his only escape is writing letters to Dave Keon of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The stand-alone sequel, Johnny Delivers, recommended by The Globe and Mail, picks up Johnny’s story as a teenager who invokes the spirit of Bruce Lee and turns to a life of crime—delivering weed with a side of egg rolls—to save his family.
In The Family Code, a finalist for the Ottawa Book Award and named one of the best fiction books of 2023 by 49th Shelf and The Miramichi Reader, Wayne draws on his 30 years as a social worker to craft a raw and visceral portrayal of Hannah Belenko, a single mother constantly on the edge.
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.
