Margaret Atwood entertains Hamilton crowd with stories and wit
Handmaid’s Tale author, who released a memoir this month, was the guest of honour at a fundraiser to raise money for Interval House of Hamilton.
There may have been 1,500 people in attendance, but An Evening With Margaret Atwood was an intimate night filled with strength and hope.
The event on Nov. 25 at the Hamilton Convention Centre aligned with the earlier release of the iconic Canadian author’s latest book, Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts, and International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The evening was a benefit event for Interval House of Hamilton, which provides emergency shelter, safety planning and support services for women with or without children who have experienced abuse or violence.
The event kicked off with opening remarks from host and veteran Hamilton TV journalist Connie Smith and Interval House team members before Atwood and moderator Ralph Benmergui took the stage.
The crowd erupted into a standing ovation from the moment Atwood was visible and lasted until she and Benmergui, a longtime broadcaster who now lives in Hamilton, took their seats. Benmergui kicked off the night by inviting the audience to sing “Happy Birthday” to Atwood, who celebrated her 86th birthday on Nov. 18.
From there, Atwood and Benmergui fell into a natural conversation about Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts, and how the writing journey was interesting for someone who is historically very private.
While there were some lighter topics sprinkled throughout the conversation, like Atwood’s fear of flushable toilets as a child, the majority of the conversation surrounded Atwood’s earlier years, her writing journey, the progression of Canadian publishing, and the evolution of feminism in society.
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Attendees did get to witness Atwood’s well-known quick wit first-hand right from the get-go.
“I’m a Scorpio, we never start … but don’t start with us,” she said. This set the tone for the impeccable banter that continued between Atwood and Benmergui throughout the evening.
Atwood then delved into stories about her rural childhood and how she spent a lot of time inventing games with her older brother Harold. Her time surrounded by nature didn’t end with these games. From the ages of 18 to 20, Peggy (a Scottish diminutive of Margaret) worked as a nature counsellor at Camp White Pine in Haliburton, Ont. While she enjoyed her time at the camp, she shared that by this age she already knew she wanted to write.
There wasn’t a particular memory she recalled when reflecting on how or when exactly she knew she wanted to write, only that: “You just know.” However, after World War II, in the mid 1950s and early ’60s, there were limited job opportunities for women like Atwood. Writing was not one of them. Her options included home economist, secretary, nurse, teacher, or flight attendant.
Luckily in the earlier days, before becoming the world-renowned writer she is today, Atwood was able to work while focusing on her writing in the evenings.
One of her most popular books, The Handmaid’s Tale, published in 1985, looks at a dystopian world where women have few options, not just for employment but also for the way they live their lives, and their role in society. When reflecting on her creation of this totalitarian world of women's oppression, Atwood revealed that at the time of writing, her thought process behind the idea was, “This is a possibility I’m telling you about now, so it doesn’t happen.” She elaborated by adding that when it comes to dystopian novels, most ideas stem from something similar that is already happening somewhere in the world.
Despite the dark themes within The Handmaid’s Tale and the political, environmental, economic, and social challenges society is facing, Atwood said she is hopeful about the future.
The evening ended with Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath presenting Atwood with a bouquet of flowers and a framed photo from Atwood’s days at Camp White Pine.
