Her mother’s struggle with Parkinson's disease pushed Alice Munro into reading as an escape route. Munro later became a housewife, but soon soared to fame for her short story collections such as Too Much Happiness. The Canadian author later won the Nobel Prize and the Man Booker Prize, too.
Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet and novelist. Her works encompass themes, such as religion and myth, climate change, and gender and identity. An award-winning writer, many of Atwood's works have been made into films and television series; her work, The Handmaid's Tale, has had several adaptations. Perhaps, Margaret Atwood's most important contribution is her invention of the LongPen device.
American-Canadian journalist Jane Jacobs is best known for her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities. A specialist in urban culture and its issues, she was one of the few women who excelled in a male-dominated field. The Vincent Scully Prize winner was initially scorned at as a housewife.
Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker Naomi Klein is known for her criticism of corporate globalization and capitalism. She became internationally known following the release of her alter-globalization book No Logo. She often appears on global and national lists of top influential thinkers and is the recipient of the 2016 Sydney Peace Prize. She is a prominent environmentalist as well.
![Keegan Connor Tracy Keegan Connor Tracy](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/keegan-connor-tracy-1.jpg)
![Diana Hart Diana Hart](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/diana-hart-21037-1.jpg)
![Emma Donoghue Emma Donoghue](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/emma-donoghue-1.jpg)
Alex Awards winning Irish-Canadian playwright, literary historian, short story writer, novelist, and screenwriter Emma Donoghue is best known for authoring award winning novels like Room and Hood. Room, an international best-seller, was adapted into a film bearing same title that not only emerged as a critical and commercial success but also garnered four Oscar nominations at the 88th Academy Awards.
![Rupi Kaur Rupi Kaur](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/rupi-kaur-1.jpg)
Rupi Kaur is an Indian-born Canadian poet, photographer, illustrator, and author. Born in India, she moved to Canada at an early age. She began performing in 2009 and gained international fame through her Instagram posts. She often explores her South Asian identity and femininity in her work. Her latest poetry collection, Home Body, released in 2020, was a resounding success.
![Gail Simmons Gail Simmons](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/gail-simmons-1.jpg)
![Lisa Jakub Lisa Jakub](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/lisa-jakub.jpg)
![Miriam Toews Miriam Toews](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/miriam-toews.jpg)
![Anna Olson Anna Olson](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/anna-olson-1.jpg)
Ex-wife of business magnet Elon Musk, Justine Musk is a Canadian author most recognised for her contemporary fantasy novel, BloodAngel. She wrote two more books Uninvited and Lord of Bones, both of which were appreciated. A Queen’s University graduate, she was employed as an English teacher in Japan before she moved back to US and later married Elon Musk.
![Margaret Laurence Margaret Laurence](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/margaret-laurence.jpg)
![Nellie McClung Nellie McClung](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/nellie-mcclung-17641-1.jpg)
Canadian author and social reformer Nellie McClung had struck gold with her first novel, Sowing Seeds in Danny, a bestseller. She also spoke widely about woman suffrage and was part of the Alberta legislature. She was part of The Famous Five, a group of women who launched the Persons Case.
![Irshad Manji Irshad Manji](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/irshad-manji-1.jpg)
![Kari Skogland Kari Skogland](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/kari-skogland.jpg)
![Severn Cullis-Suzuki Severn Cullis-Suzuki](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/severn-cullis-suzuki-19984-1.jpg)
Canadian activist Severn Cullis-Suzuki is known for her fight for environmental issues and intergenerational justice. Born to environmentalist David Suzuki, she began her journey as an environmental activist in fifth grade. She was also honored in the UNEP’s Global 500 Roll of Honour and supports the Slow movement.
![Anne Carson Anne Carson](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/anne-carson-16560-1.jpg)
Born to a banker in Toronto, Anne Carson grew up to study Classics and later taught at institutes such as Princeton University. Her signature style consists of a mix of prose and poetry. One of her notable works, Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse, was inspired by Greek mythology.
![Janette Oke Janette Oke](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/janette-oke.jpg)
![Kelley Armstrong Kelley Armstrong](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/kelley-armstrong-1.jpg)
![Mavis Gallant Mavis Gallant](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/mavis-gallant-1.jpg)
Mavis Gallant was a Canadian writer who specialized in writing short stories. A critically acclaimed writer, Gallant was honored with several prestigious awards including the Matt Cohen Prize. In addition to short stories, Mavis Gallant also wrote novels, plays, and essays.
![Susanna Moodie Susanna Moodie](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/susanna-moodie-1.jpeg)
English-Canadian writer Susanna Moodie is best known for her realistic depictions of her life in “the bush” or the wilderness of Canada, which was a British colony back in her time. Her most popular work remains Roughing it in the Bush. She had initially also penned several children’s stories.
![Jeanne Sauvé Jeanne Sauvé](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/jeanne-sauv-16533-1.jpg)
![Shulamith Firestone Shulamith Firestone](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/shulamith-firestone.jpg)
![Lisa Codrington Lisa Codrington](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/lisa-codrington-120523-1.jpg)
Canadian actor and playwright Lisa Codrington is best known as Gail from the sitcom Letterkenny. She traced her Barbadian ancestors back in the CBC documentary Big Sugar and also appeared in supporting or minor roles in series such as The Handmaid's Tale and plays such as A Midsummer Night's Dream.
![Rosie Shuster Rosie Shuster](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/rosie-shuster.jpg)
![Terri Tatchell Terri Tatchell](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/terri-tatchell.jpg)
![Maureen Jennings Maureen Jennings](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/maureen-jennings.jpg)
![Carol Shields Carol Shields](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/carol-shields.jpg)
![Joyce Cheng Joyce Cheng](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/joyce-cheng-119425-1.jpg)
![Fannie Farmer Fannie Farmer](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/fannie-farmer-56549-1.jpg)
![Lynn Johnston Lynn Johnston](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/lynn-johnston-1.jpg)
![Marjorie Gross Marjorie Gross](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/marjorie-gross.jpg)
![Elisabeth Brooks Elisabeth Brooks](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/elisabeth-brooks-116755-1.jpg)
![Gabrielle Roy Gabrielle Roy](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/gabrielle-roy-1.jpg)
![Tara Moss Tara Moss](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/tara-moss-119243-1.jpg)
![Ann-Marie MacDonald Ann-Marie MacDonald](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/ann-marie-macdonald.jpg)
Ann-Marie MacDonald is a Canadian actress, playwright, author, and broadcast host. Her maiden novel, Fall on Your Knees, received the Commonwealth Writers Prize. Ann-Marie MacDonald is perhaps best known for her play Goodnight Desdemona, which earned her several awards including the Governor General's Award for Drama, the Canadian Authors Association Drama Award, and the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award.
![Sheila Copps Sheila Copps](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/sheila-copps-1.jpg)
![Deborah Ellis Deborah Ellis](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/deborah-ellis-1.jpg)
![Esi Edugyan Esi Edugyan](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/esi-edugyan-113447-1.jpg)
![Mariko Tamaki Mariko Tamaki](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/mariko-tamaki-120396-1.jpg)
Mariko Tamaki is a Canadian writer and artist best known for her graphic novels like This One Summer and Skim. In 2016, she started writing for both DC Comics and Marvel. Mariko Tamaki is the recipient of several prestigious awards such as the Joe Shuster Award, Ignatz Award, and Doug Wright Award.
![Christie Blatchford Christie Blatchford](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/christie-blatchford-117152-1.jpg)
Canadian journalist and author Christie Blatchford had created history as her country’s first sports columnist. Also known for her award-winning book Fifteen Days, which was based on her experiences in Afghanistan, she was associated with publications such as National Post. She unfortunately died of lung cancer at age 68.
![Pauline Johnson Pauline Johnson](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/pauline-johnson-1.jpg)
![Lisa Robertson Lisa Robertson](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/lisa-robertson-1.jpg)
Lisa Robertson is a Canadian poet, freelance writer, and teacher. She studied at Simon Fraser University and once ran an independent bookstore. She explores different literary forms in her work. Her book of poetry, Debbie: An Epic (1997), was nominated for a Governor General’s Award. She has taught at the California College of Art and the University of Cambridge.
![Mazo de la Roche Mazo de la Roche](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/mazo-de-la-roche-58000-1.jpg)
Canadian author Mazo de la Roche is best known for her 16-book Jalna series of novels. She became one of the most-loved family saga novelists of her time. She dictated much of her later work her adopted sister Clement, as she suffered from arthritis in her hands.
![Wendy McElroy Wendy McElroy](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/wendy-mcelroy-1.jpg)
![Maureen McTeer Maureen McTeer](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/maureen-mcteer-17505-1.jpg)