Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1939. Her father was an entomologist and she therefore spent much of her childhood in the Canadian wilderness. She was educated at the University of Toronto, Radcliffe College and Harvard. She is a poet, novelist, literary critic, inventor, teacher, and environmental activist. She has since lived in the United States, England, France, Italy and Germany, and currently resides in Canada.

Since 1961 she has published 17 books of poetry, 16 novels, 10 books of non-fiction, eight collections of short fiction, eight children’s books, and one graphic novel. Cat’s Eye, her seventh novel, was published in 1988. Atwood’s works encompass a variety of themes including gender and identity, religion and myth, the power of language, climate change, and politics. Many of her poems are inspired by myths and fairy tales which interested her from an early age. Her focus on the notion of a Canadian identity has drawn national and international interest. Recently, her novel The Handmaid’s Tale has become a popular television miniseries.

Uncomfortable with being attributed as a ‘feminist’ author, Atwood prefers to see herself as a social realist. The title ‘feminist’ may be construed as positive or negative, depending on the individual’s position and ideology, whereas Atwood in her writing finds it more appealing to convey a clear and objective representation of society.

As an inventor, Atwood was responsible for the ‘LongPen’, a method of remote robotic writing. With this method, a person can write in ink anywhere in the world by using a tablet PC and the internet. This technology allows her to do remote book signings. The application has been utilised for businesses and legal transactions. Atwood is also a steadfast environmentalist and was an honorary co-president of the Rare Bird Club with her partner, Graeme Gibson. When the University of Toronto tried to put in an artificial turf field, she threatened to cut them out of her will.