Margaret Atwood to be celebrated on stamp by Canada Post

One of Canada’s most prolific and decorated writers, Atwood’s bibliography spans more than 50 books of poetry, fiction, criticism, essays and graphic novels.

Atwood has been publishing poetry, fiction and nonfiction since the 1960s. Her acclaimed books include The Handmaid’s Tale, Alias Grace, Oryx and Crake and The Edible Woman. Her early poetry collection The Circle Game won the Governor General’s Literary Award for poetry.

She also won the Booker Prize twice, in 2000 for The Blind Assassin and in 2019 for The Testaments. She shared the 2019 prize with British writer Bernardine Evaristo. She also won the Giller Prize in 1996 for Alias Grace.

WATCH | Margaret Atwood reflects on her life and work:

Margaret Atwood on The Testaments, politics and turning 80

Author Margaret Atwood talks to Adrienne Arsenault about the catalysts for The Testaments, the loss of her husband, a top-secret project and turning 80. 10:34

She is best known for her dystopian depictions of societies wracked by patriarchal oppression and environmental ruin, as exemplified by the 1985 classic novel The Handmaid’s Tale.

Earlier this year, the Writers’ Trust of Canada announced their fiction prize would be renamed after Atwood and her long-time partner Graeme Gibson. Atwood and Gibson were among the co-founders of the Writers’ Trust.

Atwood was named a companion to the Order of Canada in 1981. She also co-founded the Griffin Poetry Prize.

Atwood is expected to attend Thursday’s event alongside filmmaker Sarah Polley, who adapted Atwood’s 1996 novel Alias Grace into a TV miniseries, and Canadian activist and long time friend Ceta Ramkhalawansingh.

Others famous Canadians who have recently been added to Canada Post’s stamp collection include Indigenous singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie and late acting legend Christopher Plummer.