Peggy

The doyenne of Canadian literature is undoubtedly Canada’s best-known author, poet, activist, and feminist icon, Margaret Atwood, fondly known as Peggy. Rightfully considered a Canadian treasure, she has won numerous literary awards and dozens of honourary doctorates.

Colour features prominently in her recent books. In her 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, a frighteningly prescient story about a near-future America ruled by a totalitarian regime, she selected for the handmaids’ robes a deep red because of its prominence in medieval paintings, reminiscent of the cross, anger, and blood; now these red robes have become a symbol of oppression, regularly worn by groups protesting the erosion of women’s rights.

In her 2019 follow-up novel, The Testaments, Atwood chose spring green for the robes of the teenage brides-to-be, a hue she has suggested evokes hope. It is also a colour of the eco-movement, and she speaks out regularly about the threat of climate change, promoting conservation efforts.

Adapted from a photo by Liam Sharp, with permission

Photo credit: Thomas Blanchard