Margaret Atwood has been given the Crystal Award by the government and business muckety-mucks attending this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

From the Winnipeg Free Press:

“I am very honoured to have been given the Crystal Award this year,” Atwood said.

“The future of the planet will depend on a great deal of human creativity, and it is heartening to see an organization focused on economies recognizing the contributions made by artistic creators and thinkers.

“After all, language, music, and visual art are a part of the human heritage that is much older than economies as we know them today. They are who we are, while money is a neutral tool that enables us to do what we imagine.”

The Crystal Award honours personalities who are highly regarded as both cultural leaders and global citizens committed to improving the state of the world. The award (a Swiss mountain crystal) pays tribute to the decisive role that culture and arts play in the creation of global understanding and peace.

Former recipients include actress Emma Thompson, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and dancer Mallika Sarabhai.

Given Atwood’s emphasis on the importance of language and creativity, perhaps she can convince the good people at the WEF to come up with a less generic-sounding name for the prize….