Canada Post unveils stamp celebrating literary luminary Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood is being celebrated for her contributions to Canadian literature with a special stamp, unveiled on Thursday.

Canada Post launched the stamp at a Toronto event, which included speeches by filmmaker Sarah Polley and activist Ceta Ramkhalawansingh.

It features a photo of Atwood resting her hand on her face, with her famous line "a word after a word after a word is power," from her poem Spelling, repeated in the background.

Atwood told the crowd at the Toronto Reference Library that the tribute has inspired "stamp envy" among her peers, including one who exclaimed, "you're not even dead yet."

The 82-year old noted that plenty of living luminaries are featured on Canadian postage, but quipped she doubted that would allay the outrage about her "lack of deadness."

One of Canada's most prolific and decorated writers, Atwood's bibliography spans more than 50 books of poetry, fiction, criticism, essays and graphic novels.

The tribute comes weeks after Atwood shared, on Twitter, a Toronto Star opinion piece arguing the word "woman" was becoming a dirty word — drawing condemnations and accusations of transphobia, both online and in the media.