Margaret Atwood

Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939 in Ottowa, Ontario) is a novelist, essayist, poet, literary critic, and former educator.

Atwood has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 non-fiction books, 9 short story collections, 8 children's books and 2 graphic novels. She is recognized as a leading light of Canadian literature. In the United States she is most widely known for her 1985 dystopian novel, The Handmaid's Tale. During the year of its publication, she served as honorary chair of the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Alabama.