The Distance of a Shout

Selected Poems

De: Michael Ondaatje

An astonishing, one-of-a-kind collection showcasing fifty years of poetry by one of our most celebrated and cherished authors

The poetry of Michael Ondaatje begins in memory: distant landscapes, myths from childhood, fleeting interactions with loved ones, and characters from history itself. In poems that are spare as often as they are fable-like—as tender as they are heart-wrenching—the poet navigates the past, looks toward the future, and unearths inevitable truths about the world.

Assembling Michael Ondaatje’s finest poems in one brilliant volume, The Distance of a Shout chronicles the poet’s journey—moving book to book, moment to moment, border to border—and leads the reader through the threshold of discovery itself. The Distance of a Shout is a profound and gorgeous collection by an indispensable poet of our time, and proof of why miraculous poetry endures.

©2026 Michael Ondaatje (P)2026 Random House Audio