Antonio Michael Downing

Antonio Michael Downing is a Trinidad-born, Canada-based writer, musician, and creative force. Named one of Canada’s best emerging authors by the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize, his acclaimed memoir Saga Boy was called “the triumph of Blackness everywhere” by Giller Prize winner Ian Williams. The book was nominated for both the Toronto Book Award and the Speaker’s Book Award in 2021. His debut novel Black Cherokee was published by Simon & Schuster and was a finalist for the 2026 Amazon Canada First Novel Award. Antonio also performs and records music, blending soul and storytelling.