Margaret Atwood is a Canadian novelist, poet, journalist and activist, considered by some to be amongst the best living writers. She was born in 1939 in Canada's capital, Ottawa, to highly educated parents. Atwood took a keen interest in reading and writing at a young age. She published her first work in 1957, while she was attending college in Toronto. She later earned a Master's Degree from Harvard.
Atwood's first poetry collection, Double Persephone, was published in 1961. Critical praise surrounded her immediately, as she won the E.J. Pratt Medal for this first book, which celebrates Canadian poets. Her second collection, The Circle Game, was published in 1964 and received the Governor General's Award, one of the most prestigious awards for Canadian authors. Since then, Atwood has published some 18 poetry collections, the most recent of which, The Door, was released in 2007. Atwood is perhaps best known for her novels. The Handmaid's Tale released in 1985 has since been adapted into a successful television show. The Blind Assassin, was awarded the Man Booker prize in 2000. Atwood has also released several works of non-fiction, children's book, and a collection of drawings.
Margaret Atwood: Selected Poems was first released in 1976. It features selections of her work from between the years 1965 and 1975, including a number of works from her Governor General Award winning work The Circle Game. The collection demonstrates Atwood's development as a poet. The reader can see her expanding her poetic forms, and experimenting with various time settings, rhyme schemes and characters. At the heart of the work is the incredible creativity and precision that characterizes all of Atwood's work. A further edition, featuring work from 1976 to 1986 followed in 1987.
