Jean Margaret Laurence was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, and is one of the major figures in Canadian literature. She was also a founder of the Writers' Trust of Canada, a non-profit literary organisation.
One of Canada's most esteemed and beloved authors by the end of her literary career, Laurence began writing short stories in her teenage years while in Neepawa. Her first published piece "The Land of Our Father" was submitted to a competition held by the Winnipeg Free Press. This story contains the first appearance of the name "Manawaka" (a fictional Canadian town used in many of her later works).
It was after her return to Canada that she wroteThe Stone Angel(1964), the novel for which she is best known. The novel was for a time required reading in many North American school systems and colleges. Laurence was published by the Canadian publishing company McCelland and Stewart and she became one of the key figures in the emerging Canadian literary tradition.
Rachel, Rachelis a 1968 film directed by Paul Newman based on Laurence's novel A Jest of God. The Stone Angel, a feature-length film based on Laurence's novel, written and directed by Kari Skogland and starring Ellen Burstyn premiered in 2007.
Laurence won two Governor General's Awards for her novels A Jest of God (1966) and The Diviners (1974). In 1972 she was invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada. In 2016 she was named a National Historic Person.
