• Deceased
• Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Order of Canada

• Officer of the Order of Canada

  • Awarded on: May 6, 1998
  • Invested on: April 14, 1999

  She is ranked among the best English writers today. Her prize-winning novels are enjoyed by people around the world and, as evidence of their popularity, have been translated into twenty-four languages. Known for her impressive historical range, impeccable detail and elegant prose, she has the power to enthral readers with her stories, immersing them in the lives and times of the characters. Chancellor of the University of Winnipeg, a professor at the University of Manitoba and board member of the Writers' Development Trust, she is a mentor to aspiring writers, encouraging them to persevere and to fulfill their dreams through the wonder of the written word.

• Companion of the Order of Canada

  • Awarded on: October 10, 2002
  • Invested on: October 26, 2002

  She is one of Canada's most widely acclaimed contemporary authors and well-loved educators. Her works have garnered some of the world's highest literary honours and attracted an enormous readership. Writing with humour, compassion and great eloquence, she celebrates the extraordinary in all our lives and examines the choices we make, the passions we harbour and our understanding of others. Through her style and insight into human nature and through her commitment to our next generation of writers, she has deeply influenced Canadian literature. This is a promotion within the Order.