Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on November 18, 1939. Her father's career as a forest entomologist took her family back and forth between Quebec, Toronto, and Ottawa throughout her childhood. Atwood always loved reading and writing, and knew at sixteen that she wanted to be a writer. She graduated from Victoria College (at University of Toronto) in 1961, then received her MA from Radcliffe College, Harvard. Since then Atwood has distinguished herself as a poet, teacher, novelist, children's writer, and writer of short stories and non-fiction. She has also lent her skills to television scripts and lyrics, and her essays and literary criticism have appeared in several anthologies. Her work has been highly awarded, both in her native Canada and internationally, and she has received several honorary degrees from numerous major universities, including Harvard.
Along with her active writing career, Atwood also takes an interest in political issues, identifying herself with Canada's Green party. Her works belie her particular views on feminism and the environment, both of which she is passionate about.
Ms. Atwood lives in Toronto with her partner and fellow writer, Graeme Gibson. They have one daughter, Eleanor.
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