The Burgess Shale is a geological formation discovered in the Canadian Rocky Mountains that contains the fossils of many weird and strange early life forms, different from but not unrelated to later and existing forms. Atwood has named her re-visitation of the Canadian writing landscape of the 1960s after it, somewhat whimsically: that period is already fossilized, in a manner of speaking, and it does contain many weird and strange life forms. The generation of the 1960s was instrumental in creating the writer-related institutions we see around us today, from unions and private grant programs and prizes to book tours and book festivals; they did it, not for fun, but out of perceived need. Indeed, today’s Canadian writing landscape would be mostly unrecognizable to those writing in the 1960s. Fans of Margaret Atwood, Canadian Literature enthusiasts, readers, and writers will find this book informative and entertaining.“The outburst of cultural energy that took place in the 1960s was in part a product of the two decades that came before. It’s always difficult for young people to see their own time in perspective: when you’re in your teens, a decade earlier feels like ancient history and the present moment seems normal: what exists now is surely what has always existed.”Margaret Atwood compares the Canadian literary landscape of the 1960s to the Burgess Shale, a geological formation that contains the fossils of many strange prehistoric life forms. The Burgess Shale is not entirely about writing itself, however: Atwood also provides some insight into the meagre writing infrastructure of that time, taking a lighthearted look at the early days of the institutions we take for granted today—from writers’ organizations, prizes, and grant programs to book tours and festivals.