Description: Margaret Atwood has always believed that the artist is a responsible citizen and not a passive victim. She has based her career on this premise -- labouring hard in the service of her own talent and paying the necessary price. This first-ever biography of the internationally celebrated author, poet, critic, and political activist traces the life of a woman whose stellar writing career and rich personal life has always been grounded in an underlying drive and determination. Nathalie Cooke looks at the people, places, texts, and historical events that have influenced Atwood, beginning with her early childhood in Ottawa, and taking us right up to the present. Cooke conducted extensive interviews with people who have been connected to Atwood, and corresponded with her directly. Indeed, excerpts from this correspondence will amaze and delight readers. Cooke also made full use of the Atwood archives at the University of Toronto and draws upon the material there to trace the genesis of her best-known works, such as The Handmaid's Tale (a runner-up for the Booker and Ritz-Paris-Hemingway prizes), The Robber Bride, and Alias Grace. Cooke sheds new light on all of Atwood's writing, providing a context for understanding it in the light of developments in her life. Margaret Atwood: A Biography will be essential reading for anyone who has been who has been captivated by the work of this eloquent, intelligent writer.

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