
Person
Margaret Atwood
Writing · Born 1939-11-18 · Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Biography
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.
Known for

Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self

The Handmaid's Tale
Aunt

The View
Self - Guest

Tout le monde en parle
Self

Screen Two
Novel

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover
2018

The Testaments
Prison Matron

imagine…
Self

Trailblazer Honors
Self - Honoree (archive footage)

Wandering Wenda
2017
Filmography
- 2026Palabra de...Self
- 2026The TestamentsPrison Matron
- 2020Stronger Together, Tous EnsembleSelf
- 2019BookTubeSelf
- 2019Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word Is PowerSelf - Writer
- 2018Angela Carter: Of Wolves & WomenHerself - Contributor
- 2018Firing Line with Margaret Hoover
- 2018Worlds of Ursula K. Le GuinSelf - Writer
- 2017Alias GraceSupervising Producer
- 2017Margaret Atwood: You Have Been WarnedSelf
- 2017The Handmaid's TaleAunt
- 2017Wandering Wenda
- 2015Al Purdy Was Here
- 2014Frankenstein and the Vampyre: A Dark and Stormy NightSelf
- 2014Trailblazer HonorsSelf - Honoree (archive footage)
- 2014Late Night with Seth MeyersSelf
- 2013Awaiting AtwoodMargaret Atwood
- 2012PaybackWriter
- 2010In the Wake of the FloodMargaret Atwood
- 2010Yesno(voice)
- 2007The Robber BrideNovel
- 2006Paris Stories: The Writing of Mavis GallantHerself
- 2005Reading Alistair MacLeodSelf
- 2004Tout le monde en parleSelf
- 2003imagine…Self
- 1999Shadow Maker: Gwendolyn MacEwen, PoetHerself
- 1997The ViewSelf - Guest
- 1990The Handmaid's TaleNovel
- 1987Heaven On EarthWriter
- 1985Screen TwoNovel
- 1985Atwood and FamilySelf
- 1984Margaret Atwood: Once in AugustHerself
- 1981SurfacingWriter
- 1976For the RecordWriter
- —Stone MattressShort Story
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