Margaret Atwood is one of the greatest voices of contemporary literature. The Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic, essayist and scriptwriter is author of books unanimously acclaimed by both critics and readers internationally. Novels such as “The Handmaid´s Tale”, “The Testaments” (its sequel), “Cat´s Eye” or “The Robber Bride” show both a stubborn militancy for female rights, and a surprising capacity to anticipate sociological and politic events.
Translated into more than 40 languages, Atwood has published not only 18 novels and 20 books of poems, she also wrote books for children, theatre plays, short stories anthologies and a graphic novel. The adaptations for the screen of her works, notably “The Handmaid´s Tale” (nominated to thirteen Emmy awards and winner of eight), and “Alias Grace” (directed, produced and acted by women), have multiplied her fame and the reach of her literary imaginary, surprisingly accurate in foreseeing the future. “The Handmaid´s Tale” was also adapted as a movie (scripted by Harold Pinter) and as an opera.
As a speaker, Atwood is able to penetrate human emotions and passions, with a style that is both provocative and touching, deeply empathetic, while analyzing the dystopic future that is both scenario and protagonist in her works.
An activist for human rights (has collaborated with Amnesty International) and very prolific in advocating sustainability, Atwood has lectured in many Canadian Universities (such as British Columbia in Vancouver, Alberta or Toronto) and campuses throughout the world such as Macquarie University (Australia) or the University of San Antonio, in Texas. She has been president of Canadian Writers ‘Union, or International PEN Canadian Center and is the honorary co-president of the Rare Bird Society, Birdlife International.
The list of the many recognitions to her work include relevant awards such as Booker Prize, twice, Arthur C Clark Award, Franz Kafka, the National Book Critics and the PEN Pinter Prize to her career. A former Guggenheim fellow, in 2008 received the Príncipe de Asturias de las Letras. Founded Griffin Prize of Poetry and Writers’ Trust of Canada.
Newspapers such as The New York Times have praised her ironic wit and sensibility to penetrate human psychology.
Atwood, who´s co-inventor of Long Pen (a system to ink write and sign remotely through internet), graduated at Radcliffe College (Harvard University). She has received 26 honorary degrees including, Oxford University, Sorbonne, Edinburgh and Autónoma de Madrid.
The daughter of an entomologist and a nutritionist, her worry about environment cohabits in her work together with a deep understanding of subjects such as identity, feminism, philosophy of language and politics.
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