{{Short description|Canadian novelist, music critic, and blogger}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2017}} {{Infobox writer |name = Sean Michaels |image = Sean Michaels 2023 Texas Book Festival.jpg |caption = Michaels at the 2023 [[Texas Book Festival]] |birth_name = |birth_date = {{birth year and age|1982}} |birth_place = [[Stirling]], Scotland |occupation = Novelist, music blogger |period = 2000s–present |nationality = Canadian |notableworks = ''Us Conductors'' }} '''Sean Michaels''' (born 1982) is a Canadian novelist, music critic, and [[blog]]ger, based in Montreal, Quebec. Michaels’ first novel, ''[[Us Conductors]]'' won the 2014 [[Scotiabank Giller Prize]]. His second, ''The Wagers'' (2019), was named “a wistful and wonderful adventure” by [[Booklist]]. His third, ''Do You Remember Being Born?'', was praised by the [[The Globe and Mail|Globe & Mail]] as “wildly unique…it might be the forebear of a whole new genre of writing."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://byseanmichaels.com/#books | title=Sean Michaels }}</ref>
As a music critic and journalist, Michaels has written for publications such as ''[[The Guardian]]'', ''[[Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern|McSweeney's]]'', ''[[The Believer (magazine)|The Believer]]'', ''[[Pitchfork Media|Pitchfork]]'', ''[[Maisonneuve (magazine)|Maisonneuve]]'', ''[[The Observer]]'', ''[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]'' and ''[[The National Post]]''. His weekly music column, ''Heartbeats'', debuted in ''[[The Globe and Mail|The Globe & Mail]]'' in 2015.
== Early life ==
Michaels was born in Stirling, Scotland. He was raised in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]]. He relocated to [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]] to study at [[McGill University]].
== Early career ==
Michaels initially came to prominence as founder of [[Said the Gramophone]], one of the first [[mp3 blogs]], where he was among the first music critics to write about [[Arcade Fire]], [[Beirut (band)|Beirut]], [[Nicolas Jaar]] and [[Feist (singer)|Feist]]. His music criticism is known for a dreamy, literary writing style, contributing to his work as a writer in residence for events like the [[Dawson City]] Music Festival and, since 2009, [[Sappyfest]]. Six years after its founding, Said the Gramophone was recognized by ''[[Time Magazine|Time]]'' as one of the world's 25 best blog and was profiled in the book ''Track Changes: The Origin Story of Canadian Music on the Internet (1990-2010)''.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1879276_1879279_1879072,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220235726/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1879276_1879279_1879072,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 20, 2009 | magazine=Time | title=25 Best Blogs 2009 | date=February 13, 2009 | accessdate=May 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=March 13, 2026 |title=New book explores how Canadian music – and the communities around it – hit the information highway |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/article-cam-gordon-track-changes-canadian-music-history/ |work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref>
His articles about travel, food and culture have appeared in ''[[Brick, A Literary Journal|Brick]]'', ''[[The Walrus (magazine)|The Walrus]]'', and ''[[Reader's Digest]]''. In 2010, Michaels was awarded a gold prize at the [[Canadian National Magazine Awards]] for a feature concerning the Parisian art guerrillas [[Les UX]]; this article first appeared in ''Brick'' and was later re-published by [[Gizmodo]].<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://gizmodo.com/5794199/unlocking-the-mystery-of-paris-most-secret-underground-society-combined | magazine=Time | title=The Lizard, the Catacombs and the Clock: Paris's Most Secret Society | date=February 13, 2009 | accessdate=June 20, 2011}}</ref> He received a second [[Canadian National Magazine Awards|National Magazine Award]] in 2013, for an article on Canadian circus, published by ''The Walrus''.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://walrusmagazine.com/articles/2012.06-visual-essay-ringmasters/1/ | magazine=Time | title=Ringmasters | date=June 25, 2013 | accessdate=June 25, 2013}}</ref>
Michaels also writes short fiction; his short stories has been published in ''[[Maisonneuve (magazine)|Maisonneuve]]'', ''[[The New Quarterly]]'', ''[[The Lifted Brow]]'', and the anthologies ''We Are the Friction'' and ''The Art of Trespassing''.
Since 2009, Michaels has given several lectures on contemporary journalism and the music industry, including appearances at [[McGill University]], [[Emerson College]], [[Concordia University]], and the [[Pop Montreal]] Symposium. He is a member of the [[Polaris Music Prize]] jury<ref>{{cite news| url=http://polarismusicprize.ca/jury/ | work=Polaris Prize official website | title=Jury - Polaris Music Prize | accessdate=September 17, 2014}}</ref> and assisted on the grand jury<ref>{{cite news| url=http://polarismusicprize.ca/blog/polaris-gala-performers-revealed-grand-jury-announced/ | work=Polaris Prize official website | title=Polaris Gala Performers Revealed, Grand Jury Announced | date=August 20, 2013 | accessdate=September 17, 2014}}</ref> which selected [[Godspeed You! Black Emperor]]'s ''[['Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!]]'' as the best Canadian album of 2013.
In 2010, Michaels formed an [[absurdism|absurdist]] improv duo with Vinny Francois called Venezuela. They performed several early shows at the [[Montreal Improv Theatre]]. In 2011, they were featured at the [[Montreal Fringe Festival]] and opened for [[Tig Notaro]]. His most recent theatrical credit is in Mark Slutsky's acclaimed short film ''[[Sorry, Rabbi]]'' as Hasid #5.
== ''Us Conductors'' ==
Michaels' debut novel, ''[[Us Conductors]]'', was published by [[Random House Canada]] and [[Tin House Books]] (US) in 2014.<ref>{{cite magazine| url= http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/trade-shows/article/56499-london-briefcase-2013.html | magazine=Time | title=Publishers Weekly - London Briefcase | date=April 1, 2013 | accessdate=April 7, 2013 }}</ref> This book is inspired by the lives of [[Léon Theremin]], inventor of the [[theremin]], and the musician [[Clara Rockmore]].
''Us Conductors'' was named the winner of the 2014 [[Scotiabank Giller Prize]].<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/michaels-awarded-giller-prize-for-his-book-us-conductors/article21529902/ "Sean Michaels awarded Giller Prize for his book ‘Us Conductors’"]. ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', November 10, 2014.</ref> In his acceptance speech for the award, Michaels said that as a new author, it was an "unimaginable gift" to receive support from writers and publishers. He also addressed recent scandals surrounding abuse in arts communities - notably claims against former Giller host [[Jian Ghomeshi]]. "There are people in our little corner of culture who behave monstrously," he said. "We have to reckon with that, and change it. Each of us does." The novel was also subsequently awarded the Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.qwf.org/awards/2014.html | magazine=Time | title=2014 QWF Literary Awards Gala | date=November 19, 2014 | accessdate=April 2, 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> and named as a nominee for the [[International Dublin Literary Award]],<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.dublinliteraryaward.ie/news/2016-printable-longlist/ | magazine=Time | title=Dublin Award long-list | accessdate=September 13, 2016 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124012035/http://www.dublinliteraryaward.ie/news/2016-printable-longlist/ | archivedate=November 24, 2015 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> the [[Amazon.ca First Novel Award]],<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://thewalrus.ca/amazon-first-novel-award-2015-short-list/ | magazine=Time | title=Amazon.ca and the Walrus Foundation Unveil Short List for 2015 Amazon.ca First Novel Award | date=April 1, 2015 | accessdate=April 2, 2015 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405063949/http://thewalrus.ca/amazon-first-novel-award-2015-short-list/ | archivedate=April 5, 2015 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> the inaugural Kirkus Prize<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/prize/2015/finalists/ | magazine=Time | title=Inaugural Kirkus Prize nominees | accessdate=September 13, 2016 | archive-date=September 27, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927050744/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/prize/2015/finalists/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> and the [[CLMP Firecracker Award]] for Fiction.<ref>{{cite magazine| url= https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1033937623287567&id=133737309974274&substory_index=0 | magazine=Time | title=CLMP Firecracker awards 2015 | date=April 2, 2015 | accessdate=April 2, 2015 }}</ref>
== References == {{reflist|2}}
==External links== {{commons category|Sean Michaels (writer)}} *[http://saidthegramophone.com Said the Gramophone] *[http://www.byseanmichaels.com Official website for ''Us Conductors'']
{{Giller Prize}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michaels, Sean}} [[Category:1982 births]] [[Category:Canadian male non-fiction writers]] [[Category:Canadian male novelists]] [[Category:Journalists from Montreal]] [[Category:Journalists from Ontario]] [[Category:Canadian male bloggers]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Canadian male short story writers]] [[Category:Canadian writers about music]] [[Category:People from Stirling]] [[Category:Scottish emigrants to Canada]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian short story writers]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian male writers]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian novelists]] [[Category:Novelists from Ottawa]] [[Category:Novelists from Montreal]]