The author of over sixty books, Margaret Atwood holds a unique position in contemporary Canadian literature. "Atwood is arguably the most recognizable writer in the country," noted John Bemrose in Maclean's. Likewise, Ann Marie Lipinski, writing in the Chicago Tribune, described Atwood as "one of the leading literary luminaries, a national heroine of the arts, the rara avis of Canadian letters." To limit Atwood geographically as a "Canadian" author, would be a gross injustice, however, for her books have received critical acclaim in the United States and Europe as well in as her native Canada, and she has won numerous literary awards. Her receipt of Great Britain's Booker Prize in 2000, proof of Atwood's international repute, is of particular significance to an author who was placed on the prestigious award's short list three times in the past.

Atwood's popularity with both critics and the reading public has surprised her...