Margaret Atwood donates C$1m to establish Graeme Gibson chair in avian biology

Margaret Atwood has donated C$1 million to avian research to establish the Graeme Gibson chair in avian biology, a tribute to her late partner’s love of birds. The award-winning novelist, who stated that she would transform into a raven if she could be any bird due to their intelligence and social nature, made the announcement while seated in a bird observatory on the west shore of Pelee Island.

The observatory, located in the southernmost community in Canada, was set up by Atwood and Gibson and is so new that some lamps lack lightbulbs. Atwood described the act of birdwatching as being close to rapture, highlighting the significance of the gift in supporting the study of avian biology.