Knockabout Media Unveils New Margaret Laurence Portrait to Mark Author’s Centenary

July 20, 2026. Lakefield, ON – TheNewswire – In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Margaret Laurence, Knockabout Media unveiled a newly commissioned portrait of the renowned author at the annual Lakefield Literary Festival, a festival founded in honour of Laurence, a longtime Lakefield resident.

Created by Kitchener-Waterloo-based visual artist Drea Cohane, the portrait was commissioned by Knockabout Media as the official artwork for an upcoming audio documentary series exploring Laurence’s extraordinary life and enduring literary legacy.

The unveiling coincides with Laurence’s centenary, offering an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable impact of an author whose celebrated novels include The Stone Angel, A Jest of God, and The Diviners, the latter two of which won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction.

“Through her brilliant writing, Margaret Laurence helped define Canadian literature at a crucial time in our literary history, but her contributions go far beyond that,” says David Leonard, Executive Director of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. “As a co-founder of Writers’ Trust of Canada she understood the importance of supporting other writers as they made their own marks in the story of Canadian literature. As Writers’ Trust celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Laurence’s founding vision is intact, nurturing the present and future writers who will shape our culture. We’re delighted to see Margaret Laurence’s centenary honoured by Knockabout Media, and are excited to listen along as people discover or rediscover her excellent works.”

Through archival recordings, expert interviews, and immersive sound design the forthcoming series will trace Laurence’s life. Listeners will journey from her childhood in Neepawa, Manitoba, to her formative years spent in Africa, through her rise as one of Canada’s most celebrated novelists, and the controversies surrounding efforts to ban her work from classrooms and libraries.

“While Margaret Laurence was born a hundred years ago this year and died almost forty years ago it would be a mistake to not recognize my mother’s relevance today,” says David Laurence. “Her voice through the important period of the sixties and seventies made significant contributions that helped further a distinct Canadian literature and culture quite separate from colonial influence or from that of our neighbours to the south. The timely podcast that Knockabout Media is producing will serve to reintroduce her life and work during this challenging moment in our history, particularly to a new younger audience.”

The audio series will premiere this fall, and be available for streaming on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music, with episodes released weekly.

For more information, including episode release dates and show details, visit www.knockaboutmedia.com. This project is made possible by the Government of Canada.

About Knockabout Media
Knockabout Media specializes in creative non-fiction storytelling for the cultural and media sectors. On multiple platforms, and in collaboration with leading Canadian heritage interpreters, we commemorate the diverse stories that make Canada unique. We produce immersive documentaries that bring Canadian history to life. Our podcasts include Rocket War, The Black Hum, Among Equals, The Story of a National Crime, and the 2026 Digital Publishing Award finalists Story Girl and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood North (Best Podcast: Arts, Culture and Society).

For press inquiries or interview requests, please contact:
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416.737.9946
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www.knockaboutmedia.com

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