Who Was Margaret Laurence?

Margaret Laurence (1926 - 1987) is an iconic figure within Canadian literature. Laurence was born and raised in rural Manitoba and served as a journalist for the Winnipeg Citizen during the late 1940s, prior to beginning her writing career in earnest. Laurence also spent seven years in Africa, between 1950 and 1957, when she lived in both Ghana and Somalia with her husband, who worked as an engineer. During this time, Laurence learned the Somali language and even translated Somali works of literature into English.

Upon returning to Canada, Laurence began writing and her works of fiction were at first set in Africa, such as her novel "This Side of Jordan" and a personal memoir entitled "The Prophet's Camel Bell."

Laurence divorced her husband in 1962, upon which she moved to Britain, where she lived for 10 years. This was the most productive time for Laurence, as she was able to write five new books that were all set in small-town Canada--specifically in a fictional community called Manawaka. These included "The Stone Angel," "A Jest of God," "The Fire-Dwellers," "The Diviners" and "A Bird in the House."

Laurence moved to Lakehead, Ontario in 1974 and died there in 1987. Although the circumstances of her death are not entirely clear, it is believed that she committed suicide after she found out that she had terminal lung cancer.