Renowned Canadian author Margaret Atwood, who is currently writing her memoir, said in an interview that she is too old to be worried about the rise of artificial intelligence and described herself as still having a "good time" writing.&nbsp;

Atwood, 84, debuted as a poet in 1961 and published her first novel, "The Edible Woman", in 1969. She has since written more than 60 books, including novels, short stories and children's books.&nbsp;

"I'm not a writer who exists in a state of misery and finds it terribly difficult to write. You can probably guess that by the number of books I've actually written," Atwood said. "I'm having a good time."&nbsp;

Atwood spoke with Reuters last week while in Denmark to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award&nbsp;named after the famous 19th-century fairytale writer.&nbsp;

She was relaxed about the impact that AI could have on her career, drawing a contrast with younger creative people.&nbsp;

"AI is worrying a lot of people. (...) I'm too old to get too worried about this stuff. But if I were 30, I'd be worried," she said. "If I were a graphic designer, I would be worried."&nbsp;

Last year, she reviewed poems and literature written by AI in her name.&nbsp;

"So far, AI is a crap poet. Really bad," she said. "And it's not a very good fiction writer either."&nbsp;

Atwood's dystopian novel, "The Handmaid's Tale", first published in 1985, about a theocratic dictatorship in the United States, saw a surge in sales following the election of Republican Donald Trump to the White House in 2016.&nbsp;

In 2019, she published a sequel, "The Testaments", which was the joint winner of that year's Booker Prize.&nbsp;

In the interview, Atwood also renewed her previous criticism of Trump, amid his current close&nbsp;presidential&nbsp;race, saying she was very concerned about what she views as his autocratic tendencies.&nbsp;

Her latest book, "Old Babes in the Wood", published in 2021, delves into themes of family, marriage, grief, and loss, written two years after the death of her husband, author Graeme Gibson.&nbsp;

Looking ahead, Atwood says:&nbsp;"I love people asking me about the future. What do you have in mind? The next two years, the next five years, the next 10 years? We don't know. Well, I'm writing a great honking big memoir right now, and I'm only putting in stupid things and catastrophes because everything else is boring."&nbsp;

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Renowned Canadian author Margaret Atwood, who is currently writing her memoir, said in an interview that she is too old to be worried about the rise of artificial intelligence and described herself as still having a "good time" writing.

Renowned Canadian author Margaret Atwood, who is currently writing her memoir, said in an interview that she is too old to be worried about the rise of artificial intelligence and described herself as still having a "good time" writing. Atwood, 84, debuted as a poet in 1961 and published her first novel, "The Edible Woman", in 1969. She has since written more than 60 books, including novels, short stories and children's books. "I'm not a writer who exists in a state of misery and finds it terribly difficult to write. You can probably guess that by the number of books I've actually written," Atwood said. "I'm having a good time." Atwood spoke with Reuters last week while in Denmark to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award named after the famous 19th-century fairytale writer. She was relaxed about the impact that AI could have on her career, drawing a contrast with younger creative people. "AI is worrying a lot of people. (...) I'm too old to get too worried about this stuff. But if I were 30, I'd be worried," she said. "If I were a graphic designer, I would be worried." Last year, she reviewed poems and literature written by AI in her name. "So far, AI is a crap poet. Really bad," she said. "And it's not a very good fiction writer either." Atwood's dystopian novel, "The Handmaid's Tale", first published in 1985, about a theocratic dictatorship in the United States, saw a surge in sales following the election of Republican Donald Trump to the White House in 2016. In 2019, she published a sequel, "The Testaments", which was the joint winner of that year's Booker Prize. In the interview, Atwood also renewed her previous criticism of Trump, amid his current close presidential race, saying she was very concerned about what she views as his autocratic tendencies. Her latest book, "Old Babes in the Wood", published in 2021, delves into themes of family, marriage, grief, and loss, written two years after the death of her husband, author Graeme Gibson. Looking ahead, Atwood says: "I love people asking me about the future. What do you have in mind? The next two years, the next five years, the next 10 years? We don't know. Well, I'm writing a great honking big memoir right now, and I'm only putting in stupid things and catastrophes because everything else is boring." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Margaret Atwood continues writing career smoothly, says AI does not bother her

"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood has been embroiled in controversy since its release. The book, which was first published in 1985, was banned in a number of places around the world for decades and burning of the book was quite common at one point of time due to its unconventional subject matter and controversial statements. As a result, it is fitting that Atwood and publisher Penguin Random House has chosen to auction an “unburnable” edition of the famous book to raise awareness for increased censorship and book-banning in places all around the United States.

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The proceeds will go towards a literary advocacy group called PEN America who recently published a report that 1,586 books were banned by schools around the US between July 2021 and March 2022.

The “unburnable” copy will be one of its kind and it was tested by Atwood herself with an actual flamethrower. &nbsp;The novel, which speaks of a dystopian world order where women are subjugated, will be auctioned by Sotheby's New York on Wednesday with a high estimate of $100,000.

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“The Handmaid’s Tale” was also one of the books which were banned in certain schools because of its controversial subject matters, according to CNN.

"'The Handmaid's Tale' has been banned many times," Atwood said in a press release. "Let's hope we don't reach the stage of wholesale book burnings, as in 'Fahrenheit 451'," she added, referencing the acclaimed 1953 novel in which books are destroyed to preserve a totalitarian version of America. "But if we do, let's hope some books will prove unburnable -- that they will travel underground, as prohibited books did in the Soviet Union."

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"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood has been embroiled in controversy since its release. The book, which was first published in 1985, was banned in a number of places around the world for decades and burning of the book was quite common at one point of time due to its unconventional subject matter and controversial statements.

"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood has been embroiled in controversy since its release. The book, which was first published in 1985, was banned in a number of places around the world for decades and burning of the book was quite common at one point of time due to its unconventional subject matter and controversial statements. As a result, it is fitting that Atwood and publisher Penguin Random House has chosen to auction an “unburnable” edition of the famous book to raise awareness for increased censorship and book-banning in places all around the United States. Also read | Time to study universe's rarest galaxies? Hubble Space Telescope captures its largest image ever The proceeds will go towards a literary advocacy group called PEN America who recently published a report that 1,586 books were banned by schools around the US between July 2021 and March 2022. The “unburnable” copy will be one of its kind and it was tested by Atwood herself with an actual flamethrower. The novel, which speaks of a dystopian world order where women are subjugated, will be auctioned by Sotheby's New York on Wednesday with a high estimate of $100,000. Also read | Swedish government wins no-confidence vote as former Kurdish fighter abstains “The Handmaid’s Tale” was also one of the books which were banned in certain schools because of its controversial subject matters, according to CNN. "'The Handmaid's Tale' has been banned many times," Atwood said in a press release. "Let's hope we don't reach the stage of wholesale book burnings, as in 'Fahrenheit 451'," she added, referencing the acclaimed 1953 novel in which books are destroyed to preserve a totalitarian version of America. "But if we do, let's hope some books will prove unburnable -- that they will travel underground, as prohibited books did in the Soviet Union." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Margaret Atwood's fireproof 'The Handmaid's Tale' to be auctioned in New York

Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is up for auction. The fireproof book is up for auction to raise awareness. The aim is to raise awareness about banning books in the U.S. Reportedly, over 1,000 titles have been removed from U.S. schools in recent months.

The unburnable book to promote book banning in the US

An 'emotional'&nbsp;Margaret Atwood added to her long list of accolades on Friday as the Canadian author became a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for her services to literature at a ceremony at Britain`s Windsor Castle. 
 
Dressed in a dark dress, colourful scarf and red hat, the 79-year-old, who wrote the best-selling 1985 dystopian novel 'The Handmaid`s Tale', received the honour from Britain`s Queen Elizabeth, 93. 
 
"I got a bit emotional. You`re really looking at a lot of history and I’m old enough to remember a lot of that history," British media quoted Atwood telling the PA Media news agency after the ceremony. 
 
"Short form, she was brilliant in the war ... When you see the Queen at her age and her schedule that she puts out, it’s an inspiration to everybody, you just keep going." 
 
Atwood later posed for photos outside Windsor Castle. 
 
Founded by King George V in 1917, the award is given to those who have made "a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine or government lasting over a long period of time" and there are 65 members at any one time, according to the official royal website. 
 
Current members include actress Maggie Smith, former British Prime Minister John Major and Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan. 
 
Atwood this month won the prestigious literary Booker Prize, in a rare joint double award with British author Bernardine Evaristo, for 'The Testaments', the Canadian`s hugely anticipated sequel to 'The Handmaid`s Tale'.&nbsp; 
 
Atwood, who has a long list of prizes and honorary degrees to her name, has written more than 40 books of fiction, essays and poetry. 
&nbsp;

An 'emotional' Margaret Atwood added to her long list of accolades on Friday as the Canadian author became a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for her services to literature at a ceremony at Britain`s Windsor Castle.

An 'emotional' Margaret Atwood added to her long list of accolades on Friday as the Canadian author became a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for her services to literature at a ceremony at Britain`s Windsor Castle. Dressed in a dark dress, colourful scarf and red hat, the 79-year-old, who wrote the best-selling 1985 dystopian novel 'The Handmaid`s Tale', received the honour from Britain`s Queen Elizabeth, 93. "I got a bit emotional. You`re really looking at a lot of history and I’m old enough to remember a lot of that history," British media quoted Atwood telling the PA Media news agency after the ceremony. "Short form, she was brilliant in the war ... When you see the Queen at her age and her schedule that she puts out, it’s an inspiration to everybody, you just keep going." Atwood later posed for photos outside Windsor Castle. Founded by King George V in 1917, the award is given to those who have made "a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine or government lasting over a long period of time" and there are 65 members at any one time, according to the official royal website. Current members include actress Maggie Smith, former British Prime Minister John Major and Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan. Atwood this month won the prestigious literary Booker Prize, in a rare joint double award with British author Bernardine Evaristo, for 'The Testaments', the Canadian`s hugely anticipated sequel to 'The Handmaid`s Tale'. Atwood, who has a long list of prizes and honorary degrees to her name, has written more than 40 books of fiction, essays and poetry.

'Emotional' author Margaret Atwood honoured at Windsor Castle

Judges tore up the rule book on Monday, awarding the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction jointly to Canadian author Margaret Atwood for "The Testaments" and Anglo-Nigerian author Bernardine Evaristo for "Girl, Woman, Other".

Atwood becomes only the second female author to win the award twice, sharing the $62,800&nbsp;prize at the 50th-anniversary ceremony at London's Guildhall.

The award has been shared twice before, in 1974 and 1997, when the rules were changed to supposedly prevent it from happening again.

The 79-year-old Atwood, who wore a badge of climate activist group Extinction Rebellion, held aloft the arm of her fellow winner as they walked to the podium together.

"I'm very surprised, I would have thought I would have been too elderly," said Atwood, who was honoured for her best-selling sequel to her 1985 dystopian classic "The Handmaid's Tale".&nbsp;

"I don't need the attention, so I'm very glad that you're getting some," she said to Evaristo, joking that as "a good Canadian, we don't do famous, we think it is in bad taste, so it would have been embarrassing if I'd been alone here".&nbsp;

Evaristo responded that it was "so incredible to share this with Margaret Atwood, who is such a legend.&nbsp;

"I am the first black woman to win this prize," she added, to cheers from the audience.

She late told reporters she was "happy to share it, I'm a sharing person," adding the prize money would go on paying off her mortgage.

'Resilience and resistance'

The title of best work of English-language fiction published in the United Kingdom and Ireland has launched careers and courted controversy since its creation in 1969.

Past laureates have ranged from celebrated writers such as Ian McEwan and Julian Barnes to Kazuo Ishiguro and Roddy Doyle.

Paul Beatty became the first American winner when the Booker bowed to pressure and began including authors from outside the British commonwealth, Ireland and Zimbabwe in 2013.

This year's shortlist featured six novelists -- four of them women -- born across four continents.&nbsp;

The five-judge panel included the writer-broadcaster Afua Hirsch and the British-Chinese novelist and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo.

Of Atwood's novel, chair of judges Peter Florence said the panel "loves this examination of complicity and resilience and resistance, we love the language and the story-telling power, we love the ambition."

'Polyphony'

Nominated for the 1986 prize, "The Handmaid's Tale" became an award-winning TV series in 2017, and sales of the English-language edition have topped eight million copies worldwide.

Evaristo's "Girl, Woman, Other" tells the tale of 12 women from black British families with roots across the country, Africa and the Caribbean in what judge Florence called a "polyphony".

He praised it for "giving voice to people who are not always articulated, of making the invisible visible."

Explaining the decision to break the rules, Florence said the "situation demanded" it.

"We explained this to the Booker people, they said they wouldn't allow it," he added.&nbsp;

"We spent an hour discussing it... we then took another half an hour, and still came to the conclusion that... this was our decision.

"They agreed to respect our decision."

Rushdie, who won the Booker Prize in 1981 for "Midnight's Children", missed out on a second award with his latest work "Quichotte".

The tragicomedy, inspired by the classic "Don Quixote", is the story of an ageing travelling salesman who falls in love with a TV star and sets off to drive across America on a quest to prove himself worthy of her hand.

Nigerian author Chigozie Obioma made the shortlist for "An Orchestra of Minorities" -- his second novel after "The Fishermen", which was shortlisted in 2015.

Lucy Ellmann challenged judges with "Ducks, Newburyport" -- a story made up almost entirely of one sentence that absorbs readers and is occasionally funny.

Elif Shafak, the most widely read female author in Turkey, meanwhile brought Istanbul's underworld to life through the recollections of sex worker Tequila Leila in "10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World".

Judges tore up the rule book on Monday, awarding the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction jointly to Canadian author Margaret Atwood for "The Testaments" and Anglo-Nigerian author Bernardine Evaristo for "Girl, Woman, Other".

Judges tore up the rule book on Monday, awarding the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction jointly to Canadian author Margaret Atwood for "The Testaments" and Anglo-Nigerian author Bernardine Evaristo for "Girl, Woman, Other". Atwood becomes only the second female author to win the award twice, sharing the $62,800 prize at the 50th-anniversary ceremony at London's Guildhall. The award has been shared twice before, in 1974 and 1997, when the rules were changed to supposedly prevent it from happening again. The 79-year-old Atwood, who wore a badge of climate activist group Extinction Rebellion, held aloft the arm of her fellow winner as they walked to the podium together. "I'm very surprised, I would have thought I would have been too elderly," said Atwood, who was honoured for her best-selling sequel to her 1985 dystopian classic "The Handmaid's Tale". "I don't need the attention, so I'm very glad that you're getting some," she said to Evaristo, joking that as "a good Canadian, we don't do famous, we think it is in bad taste, so it would have been embarrassing if I'd been alone here". Evaristo responded that it was "so incredible to share this with Margaret Atwood, who is such a legend. "I am the first black woman to win this prize," she added, to cheers from the audience. She late told reporters she was "happy to share it, I'm a sharing person," adding the prize money would go on paying off her mortgage. 'Resilience and resistance' The title of best work of English-language fiction published in the United Kingdom and Ireland has launched careers and courted controversy since its creation in 1969. Past laureates have ranged from celebrated writers such as Ian McEwan and Julian Barnes to Kazuo Ishiguro and Roddy Doyle. Paul Beatty became the first American winner when the Booker bowed to pressure and began including authors from outside the British commonwealth, Ireland and Zimbabwe in 2013. This year's shortlist featured six novelists -- four of them women -- born across four continents. The five-judge panel included the writer-broadcaster Afua Hirsch and the British-Chinese novelist and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo. Of Atwood's novel, chair of judges Peter Florence said the panel "loves this examination of complicity and resilience and resistance, we love the language and the story-telling power, we love the ambition." 'Polyphony' Nominated for the 1986 prize, "The Handmaid's Tale" became an award-winning TV series in 2017, and sales of the English-language edition have topped eight million copies worldwide. Evaristo's "Girl, Woman, Other" tells the tale of 12 women from black British families with roots across the country, Africa and the Caribbean in what judge Florence called a "polyphony". He praised it for "giving voice to people who are not always articulated, of making the invisible visible." Explaining the decision to break the rules, Florence said the "situation demanded" it. "We explained this to the Booker people, they said they wouldn't allow it," he added. "We spent an hour discussing it... we then took another half an hour, and still came to the conclusion that... this was our decision. "They agreed to respect our decision." Rushdie, who won the Booker Prize in 1981 for "Midnight's Children", missed out on a second award with his latest work "Quichotte". The tragicomedy, inspired by the classic "Don Quixote", is the story of an ageing travelling salesman who falls in love with a TV star and sets off to drive across America on a quest to prove himself worthy of her hand. Nigerian author Chigozie Obioma made the shortlist for "An Orchestra of Minorities" -- his second novel after "The Fishermen", which was shortlisted in 2015. Lucy Ellmann challenged judges with "Ducks, Newburyport" -- a story made up almost entirely of one sentence that absorbs readers and is occasionally funny. Elif Shafak, the most widely read female author in Turkey, meanwhile brought Istanbul's underworld to life through the recollections of sex worker Tequila Leila in "10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World".

Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo declared joint Booker Prize winners

As renowned Canadian author, Margaret Atwood went on the stage to receive her second Booker Prize, most were not surprised by her win. The legendary writer has for decades captured the imagination of readers worldwide with her distinct voice and writing. Her work has always been ahead of its time, which makes Atwood in a league of her own.&nbsp; 
 
Atwood becomes only the second female author to win the award twice, sharing the $62,800 prize at the 50th-anniversary ceremony at London's Guildhall. 
 
As she went up on stage to pick up her award with fellow winner Bernardine Evaristo, the popular author said, "I'm very surprised, I would have thought I would have been too elderly."&nbsp; 
 
She may be 79 now, but Atwood's work remains relevant even now. Here's a look at five of her best works.&nbsp; 
 
'A Handmaid's Tale' (1985) 
 
Atwood's most famous novel, revived more than three decades after its release with an award-winning television series, takes place in the chilling dystopia of Gilead, a patriarchal state in which women have no rights. 
 
By turns witty and horrifying, the story follows a handmaid called Offred, one Gilead's few remaining fertile women who are forced into sexual servitude in a desperate attempt to repopulate the climate-ravaged world. 
 
Atwood said she drew on real world events for her disturbing tale. "It’s not me who made this stuff up. The human race made it up, unfortunately," she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019. 
 
The story in particular struck a chord with the #MeToo movement and groups opposed to US President Donald Trump, protesters adorning the austere hooded outfits imposed on the handmaids as symbols of female subordination. 
 
'Alias Grace' (1996)&nbsp; 
 
This tome of historical fiction tells the story of real-life Grace Marks, an Irish-Canadian maid who was imprisoned for a brutal double murder in 1843. 
 
It evokes all the murky ambiguity surrounding the case in which Marks was pardoned after serving nearly three decades of a life sentence for the killing of her employer and his pregnant housekeeper. 
 
"Arguably, the book's great strength lies in its elegant and evocative descriptions of the domestic activities that once commanded the full attention of women from the less privileged classes," a 1996 review in The New York Times said. 
 
In 2017 it was adapted into a Netflix mini-series with a screenplay by Canadian Oscar-nominated director Sarah Polley.&nbsp; 
 
'The Blind Assassin' (2000)&nbsp; 
 
This novel, for which Atwood won Britain's prestigious Booker Prize, mixes gothic horror, sci-fi and suspense while tracing generations of a family haunted by a mysterious death of one of its members in 1945. 
 
Telling the story from the perspective of novelist Iris, sister of the woman who dies, Atwood adds an extra layer of intrigue by creating a novel-within-a-novel. 
 
"Far reaching, dramatic and structurally superb, it demonstrates Atwood's immense emotional range, as well as her poet's eye for both telling detail and psychological truth," said Booker chairman Simon Jenkins. 
 
'MaddAddam' (2013)&nbsp; 
 
Showcasing Atwood's penchant for dystopias and her gift as a writer of science-fiction, or "speculative fiction" as she preferred to call it, this novel is the last of a trio set in a bioengineered future. 
 
Starting in 2003 with "Oryx and Crake" and followed in 2009 by 'The Year of the Flood', the trilogy offers a philosophical and imaginative look at the consequences of scientific experimentation gone wrong. 
 
Part of "Atwood's mastery is to use herself as a creative computer, modelling possible futures projected from the available data — in human terms, where we are now," British author Jeanette Winterson wrote in a review in 2009. 
 
'The Testaments' (2019)&nbsp;

Atwood's highly anticipated sequel to 'The Handmaid's Tale'&nbsp;was inspired by readers' questions about the original novel as well as social and political developments since. 
 
The build-up around its release was "more reminiscent of the unveiling of an iPhone or something Pokemon-related than that of a mere book," The Guardian newspaper wrote. 
&nbsp; 
It is set more than 15 years after the events in 'The Handmaid's Tale', with the state of Gilead still in place but showing signs of decline, and follows the lives of three women who all appeared in the 1985 original. The book was nominated for the Booker Prize before it even hit the shelves.

(With inputs from AFP)

As renowned Canadian author, Margaret Atwood went on the stage to receive her second Booker Prize, most were not surprised by her win. The legendary writer has for decades captured the imagination of readers worldwide with her distinct voice and writing.

As renowned Canadian author, Margaret Atwood went on the stage to receive her second Booker Prize, most were not surprised by her win. The legendary writer has for decades captured the imagination of readers worldwide with her distinct voice and writing. Her work has always been ahead of its time, which makes Atwood in a league of her own. Atwood becomes only the second female author to win the award twice, sharing the $62,800 prize at the 50th-anniversary ceremony at London's Guildhall. As she went up on stage to pick up her award with fellow winner Bernardine Evaristo, the popular author said, "I'm very surprised, I would have thought I would have been too elderly." She may be 79 now, but Atwood's work remains relevant even now. Here's a look at five of her best works. 'A Handmaid's Tale' (1985) Atwood's most famous novel, revived more than three decades after its release with an award-winning television series, takes place in the chilling dystopia of Gilead, a patriarchal state in which women have no rights. By turns witty and horrifying, the story follows a handmaid called Offred, one Gilead's few remaining fertile women who are forced into sexual servitude in a desperate attempt to repopulate the climate-ravaged world. Atwood said she drew on real world events for her disturbing tale. "It’s not me who made this stuff up. The human race made it up, unfortunately," she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019. The story in particular struck a chord with the #MeToo movement and groups opposed to US President Donald Trump, protesters adorning the austere hooded outfits imposed on the handmaids as symbols of female subordination. 'Alias Grace' (1996) This tome of historical fiction tells the story of real-life Grace Marks, an Irish-Canadian maid who was imprisoned for a brutal double murder in 1843. It evokes all the murky ambiguity surrounding the case in which Marks was pardoned after serving nearly three decades of a life sentence for the killing of her employer and his pregnant housekeeper. "Arguably, the book's great strength lies in its elegant and evocative descriptions of the domestic activities that once commanded the full attention of women from the less privileged classes," a 1996 review in The New York Times said. In 2017 it was adapted into a Netflix mini-series with a screenplay by Canadian Oscar-nominated director Sarah Polley. 'The Blind Assassin' (2000) This novel, for which Atwood won Britain's prestigious Booker Prize, mixes gothic horror, sci-fi and suspense while tracing generations of a family haunted by a mysterious death of one of its members in 1945. Telling the story from the perspective of novelist Iris, sister of the woman who dies, Atwood adds an extra layer of intrigue by creating a novel-within-a-novel. "Far reaching, dramatic and structurally superb, it demonstrates Atwood's immense emotional range, as well as her poet's eye for both telling detail and psychological truth," said Booker chairman Simon Jenkins. 'MaddAddam' (2013) Showcasing Atwood's penchant for dystopias and her gift as a writer of science-fiction, or "speculative fiction" as she preferred to call it, this novel is the last of a trio set in a bioengineered future. Starting in 2003 with "Oryx and Crake" and followed in 2009 by 'The Year of the Flood', the trilogy offers a philosophical and imaginative look at the consequences of scientific experimentation gone wrong. Part of "Atwood's mastery is to use herself as a creative computer, modelling possible futures projected from the available data — in human terms, where we are now," British author Jeanette Winterson wrote in a review in 2009. 'The Testaments' (2019) Atwood's highly anticipated sequel to 'The Handmaid's Tale' was inspired by readers' questions about the original novel as well as social and political developments since. The build-up around its release was "more reminiscent of the unveiling of an iPhone or something Pokemon-related than that of a mere book," The Guardian newspaper wrote. It is set more than 15 years after the events in 'The Handmaid's Tale', with the state of Gilead still in place but showing signs of decline, and follows the lives of three women who all appeared in the 1985 original. The book was nominated for the Booker Prize before it even hit the shelves. (With inputs from AFP)

Margaret Atwood wins her second Booker Prize; 5 novels by the author that you must read

Canadian author Margaret Atwood said a deterioration in women's rights in some parts of the world including in the United States prompted her to write a sequel to her best-selling 1985 novel 'The Handmaid's Tale'.

The novel, made into an award-winning television series in 2017, presents a totalitarian future in the state of Gilead, where the few remaining fertile women are forced into sexual servitude as "handmaids" to repopulate a world facing environmental disaster.

"For years and years people were saying will there be a sequel, please write a sequel, tell us what happened, and I always said I can't do that," Atwood told British broadcaster the BBC in an interview.

"But then a couple of things happened. Instead of going away from Gilead as I thought had been happening in the 1990s, we started going back towards Gilead in a number of places in the world including the United States."

Recent moves to curtail access to abortion in the United States have caused huge division and galvanised women's rights activists.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, who was elected in 2016, has said he opposes abortions in most cases and he has joined many of his fellow Republicans in seeking to limit them.

Many doctors and rights groups are fighting these efforts as harmful to women's health and in breach of a constitutional right to abortion.

Atwood said she was already conceptualising a sequel to 'The Handmaid's Tale'&nbsp;when Trump was elected. At the time, the television series based on her novel was being filmed.

"The frame around the show changed, and we knew at that moment it would be viewed differently, which it was. So instead of fantasy -- ha ha it will never happen -- it got much closer to reality, because of the kinds of people backing Trump," Atwood said.

The series helped the original novel shoot back up the bestseller lists, and made the handmaid's uniform of a long dark red cloak and large white bonnet a symbol of female protest and resistance.

Fans gathered in London at midnight on Tuesday to hear Atwood read from her new book, hailing it as a timely and necessary response to an increasingly menacing world for women.

"The world in some ways is becoming a worse place for women and particularly in the United States and so this is very current, and very relevant and very necessary," said Anne Enith-Cooper, 57, who attended the launch.

Another fan, 40-year-old Stacey Morris, said: "My daughter is 12 and she's just starting to understand feminism and the importance of being a woman... I'd really like for her to read this in the future and to be able to share this with her."

Asked if she was nervous about the huge anticipation of her new book, Atwood told the BBC: "There is that feeling that you have - a lot of fanfare, the mountain roars and out comes this mouse. Will they say "what?", "is that what all this fuss has been about?"

"You do have to point out it is a book, it is not regime change, it is not something that is going to physically impact the lives of many people, it is not riots in Moscow."

'The Testaments'&nbsp;has already landed Atwood a nomination for one of the publishing world's top accolades, the Booker Prize.

Canadian author Margaret Atwood said a deterioration in women's rights in some parts of the world including in the United States prompted her to write a sequel to her best-selling 1985 novel 'The Handmaid's Tale'.

Canadian author Margaret Atwood said a deterioration in women's rights in some parts of the world including in the United States prompted her to write a sequel to her best-selling 1985 novel 'The Handmaid's Tale'. The novel, made into an award-winning television series in 2017, presents a totalitarian future in the state of Gilead, where the few remaining fertile women are forced into sexual servitude as "handmaids" to repopulate a world facing environmental disaster. "For years and years people were saying will there be a sequel, please write a sequel, tell us what happened, and I always said I can't do that," Atwood told British broadcaster the BBC in an interview. "But then a couple of things happened. Instead of going away from Gilead as I thought had been happening in the 1990s, we started going back towards Gilead in a number of places in the world including the United States." Recent moves to curtail access to abortion in the United States have caused huge division and galvanised women's rights activists. US President Donald Trump, who was elected in 2016, has said he opposes abortions in most cases and he has joined many of his fellow Republicans in seeking to limit them. Many doctors and rights groups are fighting these efforts as harmful to women's health and in breach of a constitutional right to abortion. Atwood said she was already conceptualising a sequel to 'The Handmaid's Tale' when Trump was elected. At the time, the television series based on her novel was being filmed. "The frame around the show changed, and we knew at that moment it would be viewed differently, which it was. So instead of fantasy -- ha ha it will never happen -- it got much closer to reality, because of the kinds of people backing Trump," Atwood said. The series helped the original novel shoot back up the bestseller lists, and made the handmaid's uniform of a long dark red cloak and large white bonnet a symbol of female protest and resistance. Fans gathered in London at midnight on Tuesday to hear Atwood read from her new book, hailing it as a timely and necessary response to an increasingly menacing world for women. "The world in some ways is becoming a worse place for women and particularly in the United States and so this is very current, and very relevant and very necessary," said Anne Enith-Cooper, 57, who attended the launch. Another fan, 40-year-old Stacey Morris, said: "My daughter is 12 and she's just starting to understand feminism and the importance of being a woman... I'd really like for her to read this in the future and to be able to share this with her." Asked if she was nervous about the huge anticipation of her new book, Atwood told the BBC: "There is that feeling that you have - a lot of fanfare, the mountain roars and out comes this mouse. Will they say "what?", "is that what all this fuss has been about?" "You do have to point out it is a book, it is not regime change, it is not something that is going to physically impact the lives of many people, it is not riots in Moscow." 'The Testaments' has already landed Atwood a nomination for one of the publishing world's top accolades, the Booker Prize.

Atwood says 'Handmaid's Tale' got much closer to reality, prompting sequel

Six books have been shortlisted for Booker Prize 2019. Among the six shortlisted authors, four are women. Margaret Atwood, Lucy Ellmann, Bernardine Evaristo and Elif Shafak have been nominated along with two men- Chigozie Obioma and former Booker winner Salman Rushdie. 
 
The shortlisted writers represent six different countries: Canada, India, Nigeria, Turkey, and the UK.&nbsp; 
 
The jury that comprises of Peter Florence (chair), Afua Hirsch, Liz Calder, Xiaolu Guo, and Joanna MacGregor will announce the winner on October 14. The prize money is £50,000. 
 
According to the chairperson, Petre Florence, the works have been shortlisted for showing 'extraordinary ambition.'

"There is an abundance of humour, of political and cultural engagement, of stylistic daring and astonishing beauty of language. Like all great literature, these books teem with life, with a profound and celebratory humanity," Florence added. 
&nbsp; 
Here is the full list of the books that have been shortlisted:&nbsp; 
 
'The Testaments' &nbsp;by Margaret Atwood 
 
'Ducks, Newburyport' by Lucy Ellmann 
 
'Girl, Woman, Other' by Bernardine Evaristo 
 
'An Orchestra of Minorities' by Chigozie Obioma 
 
'Quichotte' by Salman Rushdie 
 
'10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World' by Elif Shafak

Six books have been shortlisted for Booker Prize 2019. Among the six shortlisted authors, four are women. Margaret Atwood, Lucy Ellmann, Bernardine Evaristo and Elif Shafak have been nominated along with two men- Chigozie Obioma and former Booker winner Salman Rushdie.

Six books have been shortlisted for Booker Prize 2019. Among the six shortlisted authors, four are women. Margaret Atwood, Lucy Ellmann, Bernardine Evaristo and Elif Shafak have been nominated along with two men- Chigozie Obioma and former Booker winner Salman Rushdie. The shortlisted writers represent six different countries: Canada, India, Nigeria, Turkey, and the UK. The jury that comprises of Peter Florence (chair), Afua Hirsch, Liz Calder, Xiaolu Guo, and Joanna MacGregor will announce the winner on October 14. The prize money is £50,000. According to the chairperson, Petre Florence, the works have been shortlisted for showing 'extraordinary ambition.' "There is an abundance of humour, of political and cultural engagement, of stylistic daring and astonishing beauty of language. Like all great literature, these books teem with life, with a profound and celebratory humanity," Florence added. Here is the full list of the books that have been shortlisted: 'The Testaments' by Margaret Atwood 'Ducks, Newburyport' by Lucy Ellmann 'Girl, Woman, Other' by Bernardine Evaristo 'An Orchestra of Minorities' by Chigozie Obioma 'Quichotte' by Salman Rushdie '10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World' by Elif Shafak

Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie and four others shortlisted for Booker Prize 2019

If you loved the hit series ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ then there’s good news for you as the author on whose novel it is based, is writing a sequel to it.&nbsp;

Margaret Atwood announced that she is currently writing a sequel to it and it will be called ‘The Testaments.’ The novel is due in September of 2019 and will be set 15 years after the events of ‘Handmaid’s.’&nbsp;

On Twitter, Atwood teased that it will be narrated by three female characters. She wrote: “Everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything!” and added, “The other inspiration is the world we’ve been living in.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Yes indeed to those who asked: I’m writing a sequel to The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HandmaidsTale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HandmaidsTale</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheTestaments?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheTestaments</a> is set 15 years after Offred’s final scene and is narrated by three female characters. It will be published in Sept 2019. More details: <a href="https://t.co/e1umh5FwpX">https://t.co/e1umh5FwpX</a> <a href="https://t.co/pePp0zpuif">pic.twitter.com/pePp0zpuif</a>
— Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargaretAtwood/status/1067778206642683906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The novel ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ has sold eight million copies and routinely tops the list of best books of the 20th century. It has also been introduced to a new generation of fans via the Emmy winning Hulu series.

Atwood’s other novels include ‘Alias Grace,’ ‘The Blind Assassin,’ and ‘Cat’s Eye.’&nbsp;

If you loved the hit series ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ then there’s good news for you as the author on whose novel it is based, is writing a sequel to it. Margaret Atwood announced that she is currently writing a sequel to it and it will be called ‘The Testaments.

If you loved the hit series ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ then there’s good news for you as the author on whose novel it is based, is writing a sequel to it. Margaret Atwood announced that she is currently writing a sequel to it and it will be called ‘The Testaments.’ The novel is due in September of 2019 and will be set 15 years after the events of ‘Handmaid’s.’ On Twitter, Atwood teased that it will be narrated by three female characters. She wrote: “Everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything!” and added, “The other inspiration is the world we’ve been living in.” Yes indeed to those who asked: I’m writing a sequel to The #HandmaidsTale. #TheTestaments is set 15 years after Offred’s final scene and is narrated by three female characters. It will be published in Sept 2019. More details: https://t.co/e1umh5FwpX pic.twitter.com/pePp0zpuif — Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) November 28, 2018 × The novel ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ has sold eight million copies and routinely tops the list of best books of the 20th century. It has also been introduced to a new generation of fans via the Emmy winning Hulu series. Atwood’s other novels include ‘Alias Grace,’ ‘The Blind Assassin,’ and ‘Cat’s Eye.’

Margaret Atwood is writing  a sequel to ‘Handmaid’s Tale’

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