Margaret Atwood

Writing

Born 1939-11-18 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 35 credits Governor General's Award for English-language fiction 1 Booker Prize 2 Giller Prize 2

Awards

Won 1 Governor General's Award for English-language fiction Award

Governor General's Award for English-language fiction 1 won · 7 nominated

2003 English-language fiction Nominated Oryx and Crake
2000 English-language fiction Nominated The Blind Assassin
1996 English-language fiction Nominated Alias Grace
1994 English-language fiction Nominated The Robber Bride
1991 English-language fiction Nominated Wilderness Tips
1988 English-language fiction Nominated Cat's Eye
1985 English-language fiction Won The Handmaid's Tale
1979 English-language fiction Nominated Life Before Man

Booker Prize 2 won · 4 nominated

2019 Booker Prize Won The Testaments
2003 Booker Prize Nominated Oryx and Crake
2000 Booker Prize Won The Blind Assassin
1996 Booker Prize Nominated Alias Grace
1989 Booker Prize Nominated Cat's Eye
1986 Booker Prize Nominated The Handmaid's Tale

Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel 3 nominated

2020 Best Science Fiction Novel Nominated The Testaments
2014 Best Science Fiction Novel Nominated MaddAddam
1987 Best Science Fiction Novel Nominated The Handmaid's Tale

Giller Prize 2 won · 1 nominated

2009 Giller Prize Won The Year of the Flood
2003 Giller Prize Nominated Oryx and Crake
1996 Giller Prize Won Alias Grace

Award data from Wikidata (CC0). Coverage may be incomplete.

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Born in Ottawa and raised in Toronto, Margaret Atwood graduated from the University of Toronto’s Victoria College in 1961 and pursued a master's at Harvard in 1963. Her teaching stint at the University of British Columbia marked her start, but it was her poetry collection, "The Circle Game," in 1964 that brought her initial literary acclaim. Her debut novel, "The Edible Woman" (1969), resonated with early feminist movements, followed by "Surfacing" in 1972, a Canadian literature mainstay. The '70s saw her prolific output: six poetry volumes, three short-story collections, and bestsellers like "Lady Oracle," "Life Before Man," and "Bodily Harm." In 1985, "The Handmaid's Tale" propelled her to global fame, showcasing her futuristic, dystopian storytelling. Subsequent novels like "Cat's Eye," "The Robber Bride," and "Alias Grace" solidified her international acclaim. Her impact extends beyond literature; as the first novelist and poet on Canada’s Walk of Fame, Atwood embodies Canadian humility, stating, "We don’t put up with people who get too high and mighty." Her work continues to resonate, cementing her status as a treasured Canadian storyteller.