One of Canada's most esteemed and beloved authors by the end of her literary career,[5] Laurence began writing short stories in her teenage years while in Neepawa. Her first published piece "The Land of Our Father" was submitted to a competition held by the Winnipeg Free Press. This story contains the first appearance of the name "Manawaka" (a fictional Canadian town used in many of her later works).[6] Shortly after her marriage, Margaret began to write more prolifically, as did her husband. Each published fiction in literary periodicals while living in Africa, but Margaret continued to write and expand her range. Her early novels were influenced by her experience as a minority in Africa. They show a strong sense of Christian symbolism and ethical concern for being a white person in a colonial state.
It was after her return to Canada that she wrote The Stone Angel (1964), the novel for which she is best known. Set in a fictional Manitoba small town named Manawaka, the story is narrated by 90-year-old Hagar Shipley, alternating between her present moments and recollections of her entire life. The novel was for a time required reading in many North American school systems and colleges.[7] Laurence wrote four more works of fiction set in Manawaka. Laurence was published by the Canadian publishing company McClelland and Stewart, and she became one of the key figures in the emerging Canadian literature tradition.
Rachel, Rachel is a 1968 film directed by Paul Newman, based on Laurence's novel A Jest of God. The Stone Angel, a feature-length film based on Laurence's novel, written and directed by Kari Skogland and starring Ellen Burstyn premiered in Fall 2007.
Awards and recognition
Laurence won two Governor General's Awards for her novels A Jest of God (1966) and The Diviners (1974). In 1972 she was invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada.
The Margaret Laurence Memorial Lecture is an annual lecture series organized by the Writers' Trust of Canada.
The Stone Angel was one of the selected books in the 2002 edition of Canada Reads, championed by Leon Rooke.
The University of Winnipeg named a Women's Studies Centre, and an annual speaker series, in Laurence's honour.
At York University in Toronto, one of the undergraduate residence buildings (Bethune Residence) named a floor after her.
In 2016, she was named a National Historic Person.[8]
