Home 5 News 5 Margaret Atwood Explores Her Life in First Memoir

Margaret Atwood Explores Her Life in First Memoir

by | Feb 12, 2025 | News

The revered author Margaret Atwood will publish Book of Lives, her much-anticipated memoir, in November. Most famous for writing The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood will share stories about her unconventional upbringing in northern Canada, her journey as a writer and the moments that led to her award-winning career.

 

Atwood, 85, has written 17 novels, 19 poetry collections and a slew of short stories and works of nonfiction — but no memoir. A “memoir of sorts,” Book of Lives weaves together strands of personal memory, political rumination and happy interludes. “I sweated blood over this book,” Atwood said. “There was too much life to be contained, but I also laughed a lot.”

 

The memoir will include encounters with poets, Hollywood actors and Atwood’s late husband, Graeme Gibson. It will also delve into the real-life inspirations for her most famous novels. It’s a “landmark publication,” according to the UK publisher Vintage, that provides a “rare glimpse” into one of the most brilliant minds in literature.

 

Recent News

25Jun
Did Orwell’s fear of the sea shape his novel?

Did Orwell’s fear of the sea shape his novel?

George Orwell had a traumatic relationship with the sea. In August 1947, while he was writing Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) on the island of Jura in the Scottish Hebrides, he went on a fishing trip with his young son, nephew and niece. Having misread the tidal schedules, on the way back Orwell mistakenly piloted the boat […]

25Jun
Penguin at 90: Profit with Purpose

Penguin at 90: Profit with Purpose

Penguin UK CEO Tom Weldon is the latest inheritor of the Penguin brand which is celebrating its 90th birthday this year.  In a thoughtful article in the Bookseller he noted that founder Allen Lane’s vision for his revolutionary line of cheap paperbacks was both “missionary and mercenary”.  He wanted to grow the market, but to […]

25Jun
Audiobooks Hit Record High in the UK

Audiobooks Hit Record High in the UK

Audiobooks and fiction drove publishing growth in 2024, according to new figures released by the UK Publishers Association.  Audiobook revenue was £268 million which is the highest ever and up 31% on 2023. Fiction is up 18%, bringing in revenue of over £1 billion for the first time.  Digital formats were a key driver of […]

Related Posts

Penguin at 90: Profit with Purpose

Penguin at 90: Profit with Purpose

Penguin UK CEO Tom Weldon is the latest inheritor of the Penguin brand which is celebrating its 90th birthday this year.  In a thoughtful article in the Bookseller he noted that founder Allen Lane’s vision for his revolutionary line of cheap paperbacks was both...

Audiobooks Hit Record High in the UK

Audiobooks Hit Record High in the UK

Audiobooks and fiction drove publishing growth in 2024, according to new figures released by the UK Publishers Association.  Audiobook revenue was £268 million which is the highest ever and up 31% on 2023. Fiction is up 18%, bringing in revenue of over £1 billion for...

Chinese Web Literature: 575 Million Readers

Chinese Web Literature: 575 Million Readers

China counted over a half billion consumers of online literature last year - a record - according to an official report, while the number of overseas users also jumped as authorities promoted the industry as a cultural export and soft power tool. China's online...

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this