Margaret Laurence was born Margaret Wemyss on July 18, 1926 in Neepawa, Manitoba. She attended Winnipeg United College where she graduated with an honours English degree in 1947.  While at college she was the assistant editor of the Vox student newspaper. After graduation, she worked as a reporter for the Winnipeg Citizen newspaper. In 1947, she married John Fergus Laurence; the couple had two children. They moved around a lot during their marriage, living in England, Somalialan and Ghana. In 1957, the family moved back to Canada. Margaret and her husband separated in 1962 and their divorce became final in 1969. After the separation, Margaret Laurence moved to England with her children. In 1969, she moved back to Canada and became the Writer in Residence at the University of Toronto. In 1986, she was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer.

Margaret Laurence first had some of her short stories published while living in Africa. Her first novel, The Stone Angel was published in 1964. In 1967, her novel The Jest of God (1966) won the Governor General’s Award. Another of her well-known novels is The Diviners. In 1972, Laurence was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. Her last published work was her autobiography, Dance on the Earth: a Memoir (1989); it was edited by her daughter, Jocelyn.

Margaret Laurence died on January 5, 1987.

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