Vincent Lam
Encyclopedia
Vincent Lam is a Canadian
writer and medical doctor.
Born in London
, Ontario
and raised in Ottawa
, his parents came to Canada from the Chinese
expatriate community in Vietnam
. He attended St. Pius X High School
and did his medical training at the University of Toronto
, graduating in 1999. He now works as an emergency physician at Toronto East General Hospital
and also does international air evacuation work and expedition medicine on Arctic
and Antarctic
ships.
Lam's two published works, the medical guide The Flu Pandemic and You and the short story
collection Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, are based on his experiences in medical school
. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures won the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize
, Canada's richest and most prestigious literary award, on November 7, 2006. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures was also a finalist for The Story Prize
in 2008.
Following Lam's Giller win, Shaftesbury Films
announced that it had reached a deal to adapt Bloodletting into a television series, which debuted in January 2010 on HBO Canada
.
Lam, who attended the Humber College School for Writers, continues to work on his first novel, Cholon, Near Forgotten. In 2011, he published a biography of Canadian politician Tommy Douglas
, as part of Penguin Canada's Extraordinary Canadians series of historical biographies.
He currently lives with his wife and two sons in Toronto.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
writer and medical doctor.
Born in London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and raised in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, his parents came to Canada from the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
expatriate community in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. He attended St. Pius X High School
St. Pius X High School (Ottawa)
St. Pius X High School is a Canadian secondary school founded in 1958 in Ottawa, Ontario. The school, operated by the publicly funded Ottawa Catholic School Board, teaches grades 9-12. Enrollment currently stands at around 1,100 students.-School shooting:...
and did his medical training at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, graduating in 1999. He now works as an emergency physician at Toronto East General Hospital
Toronto East General Hospital
-External links:**...
and also does international air evacuation work and expedition medicine on Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
and Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
ships.
Lam's two published works, the medical guide The Flu Pandemic and You and the short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
collection Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, are based on his experiences in medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures won the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize
Scotiabank Giller Prize
The Scotiabank Giller Prize, or Giller Prize, is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English the previous year, after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries...
, Canada's richest and most prestigious literary award, on November 7, 2006. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures was also a finalist for The Story Prize
Story Prize
The Story Prize is an annual book award established in 2004 that honors the author of an outstanding collection of short fiction with a $20,000 cash award. Each of two runners-up receives $5,000. Eligible books must be written in English and first published in the United States during a calendar...
in 2008.
Following Lam's Giller win, Shaftesbury Films
Shaftesbury Films
Shaftesbury Films is a Canadian film and television production company founded by Christina Jennings and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1987, Shaftesbury is a leading creator and producer of original content for television and multiple platforms, with programming available in more than...
announced that it had reached a deal to adapt Bloodletting into a television series, which debuted in January 2010 on HBO Canada
HBO Canada
HBO Canada is a Canadian television channel, which airs programming sourced from the HBO subscription service in the United States. HBO Canada is not available as a standalone channel, but as one channel within the TMN and Movie Central multiplexes....
.
Lam, who attended the Humber College School for Writers, continues to work on his first novel, Cholon, Near Forgotten. In 2011, he published a biography of Canadian politician Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
, as part of Penguin Canada's Extraordinary Canadians series of historical biographies.
He currently lives with his wife and two sons in Toronto.