Christopher George Moore is a Canadian author known for his diverse and critically acclaimed works. Moore got his start writing radio dramas for the CBC starting with Sticks and Pucks (1980), The Clairvoyant (1982), The Bamboo Pilar(1984) and with NHK View from Cambie Bridge (1982). As Christopher G. Moore, he has written 28 novels, six works of non-fiction, and edited three anthologies. 

His writing often explores themes of human rights, literary excellence, and the cultural nuances of his adopted home, Thailand. Moore’s writing career began while he was a tenured law professor at the University of British Columbia. His first book, His Lordship’s Arsenal, was published in 1985 and introduced his protagonist, Wild Bill Anglin, a mysterious character who died in a fire. 

Moore’s most famous series is the Vincent Calvino Private Eye series, set in Bangkok, Rangoon, Ho Chi Minh City, and Phnom Penh. The Calvino series includes novels such as Spirit House, The Risk of Infidelity Index, and Zero Hour in Phnom Penh. The latter novel won the German Critics Award for international crime fiction in 2004 and the Premier Special Director Book Award Semana Negra in Spain in 2007. In 2015, Chad Evans, a Canadian, released the World of Vincent Calvino analyzing the Calvino books.

Books in the Calvino series have been translated into twelve languages and has garnered significant international acclaim. Moore has also written the Land of Smiles trilogy, a behind-the-smiles study of Thailand, which includes A Killing Smile, A Bewitching Smile, and A Haunting Smile. His novels have been praised for their vivid descriptions of Bangkok and its culture, as well as their engaging plots and memorable characters.

In addition to his fiction, Moore has written non-fiction books, including Rooms: On Human Domestication and Submission, which explores the transition from a species living in nature to one living in sheltered structures, and Heart Talk, which delves into the Thai social psyche through the concept of “jai” or heart.

Moore is also the founder of the Christopher G. Moore Foundation, a charitable organization that supports human rights and literary excellence in the field of human rights’ literature. He also Founded Tonkla Rak Lok Foundation. He also hosted a bi-monthly webcast/podcast, Book Talk Conversations, where he interviews original thinkers from various fields.

Moore literary papers have been collected by the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto.

Throughout his career, Moore has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Shamus Award and the German Critics Award. His works have been translated into a dozen languages and have gained a significant following worldwide.

Overall, Christopher G. Moore is widely regarded as a leading voice in contemporary crime fiction and literary fiction set in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Thailand. His nuanced portrayals of the region and its people have earned him critical acclaim from media outlets in Canada and around the world.

Awards and Recognition

• German Critics Award for international crime fiction (2004) for Zero Hour in Phnom Penh
• Premier Special Director Book Award Semana Negra (2007) for Zero Hour in Phnom Penh
• Shamus Award (2011) for Asia Hand
• Finalist Arthur Ellis Award (2013) for Reunion           

Philanthropy and Public Engagement

• Christopher G. Moore Foundation: Supports increasing awareness of human rights issues globally and sponsors an annual award for the best non-fiction book that explores human rights themes. https://en.ccclfilmfestival.com/about
• Changing Climate, Changing Lives (CCCL) Film Festival (Established: 2019): Since the first festival was launched in 2020, CCCL has supported young film makers through grants and a mentorship program to visualize the impact of climate change in their communities through the medium of short films. CCCL in 2024 has expanded to countries outside of Thailand and Southeast Asia and has become a major climate change film festival with year-round activities. https://en.ccclfilmfestival.com/about
• Book Talk Conversation: In this webcast/podcast where Moore interviewed leading original thinkers from various fields to discuss the books from their childhood that influenced their later careers. https://www.booktalkconversation.com

Critical Acclaim

• “Moore’s flashy style successfully captures the dizzying contradictions in Bangkok’s vertiginous landscape.” – The New York Times
• Moore’s work has received widespread critical acclaim over the years. The Chicago Sun-Times described his early novels as “complex, moody, rewarding”, while Publisher’s Weekly called him “a real writer and one to watch”.
• Macleans magazine noted that Moore’s “noir thriller and literary fiction—like Graham Greene, he alternates between ‘entertainment’ and serious novels—are subtle and compelling evocations of a part of the world rarely seen through our eyes.” 
• The Globe and Mail described him as a writer “in the great literary tradition that hasn’t really touched down since Somerset Maugham”.
• The Vancouver Sun called Moore “the most important recreator of Thailand for a Western audience”. 
• Le Parisien in France described him as “an idealist and a lone warrior who doesn’t hesitate to get his hands dirty”, while Thriller Magazine in Italy considered him “a rare writer who is able to meticulously dramatize the complex wiring of the human condition and simultaneously reveal the geopolitical undercurrents while maintaining a skillful control of his stories.”
• “Moore’s Vincent Calvino novels, of which this is the 10th, are crisp, atmospheric entertainments set in a noirish Bangkok.” – The Guardian

Online Presence

• Author’s Homepage: www.cgmoore.com
• Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/26842.Christopher_G_Moore
• Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Christopher-G.-Moore/author/B000APFQJA

List of names of those who would support for the nomination:

Former Canadian ambassador to Thailand, now Canadian Ambassador to Russia, Sarah Taylor sarah.taylor@international.gc.ca

Randy Boyagoda is a Canadian writer, leading intellectual, and literary critic who is currently a professor in the Department of English at the University of Toronto. randy.boyagoda@utoronto.ca

Patrick Kavanagh, Canadian novelist. pjk1950@hotmail.com

Catherine Morris, Executive Director of the Institute for Dispute Resolution at the University of Victoria. cmorris@lrwc.org

MR Narisa Chakrabongse founder of Bangkok Edge and publisher narisachakra@gmail.com

David Vaver, an Order of Canada recipient who lives in Toronto and Oxford DVaver@osgoode.yorku.ca

Adrienne Parkins, a Canadian, trustee of the Christopher G. Moore Foundation who lives in London Adrienne Loftus Parkins <alp@cgmoorefoundation.org>