Antonio Michael Downing is an author, public speaker, and musician. In 2017 he was named one of Canada’s top emerging writers of nonfiction by the RBC Taylor Prize through its mentorship program. Downing has published one novella and a memoir, Molasses and Saga Boy, the latter of which was longlisted for the 2021 Toronto Book Award and shortlisted for the Speaker’s Book Awards. Downing’s debut novel, Black Cherokee, is forthcoming by Simon and Schuster. He writes and performs music as John Orpheus. Originally from Trinidad, Downing now lives in Toronto.