39 Comments
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MC Glass's avatar

Fabulous woman you are Margaret Atwood, a mountain of gratitude for launching this enormous prize to women writers and readers!

Carrie Kaufman's avatar

Thank you for this! I always check the Booker list when I'm looking for a book. And you've given me other prize lists to check, too. I am so glad there is a prize in honor of Carol Shields.

I'd also love to know what book won the Booker when Handmaid's Tale was nominated?

Jack Bishop's avatar

The Old Devils by Kingsley Amis won the Booker in 1986, the year Handmaid's Tale was nominated.

J. A. Farden's avatar

Wikipedia has a nice ol' list I find myself returning to once in a blue moon. I've found the Booker winners, although much flawed like all hastily issued awards, stand up better in time than the Pulitzers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winners_and_nominated_authors_of_the_Booker_Prize

Gaile Whelan Enns's avatar

Your humour is much appreciated after a weekend of solid work. Glad you are on Substack.

Dalyght's avatar

Canadianishly, eh? Thank you for providing me with that deliciously useful adverb, which I will start making use of forthwith.

J. A. Farden's avatar

It shall be added to the standard lexicon.

Marylee's avatar

hey -- was at the Chan tonight -- wonderful event/show/happening! Many laughs, lots of empathetic murmurings ("yes, exactly - that happened to me, too"). Plenty of time for you to give answers and Ian was as great combo of following an actual plan of inquiry while being free-form, too. and if the writing gig doesn't work out, you can always make it in standup! (If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere....)

Caterina's avatar

Here I am chuckling... yet again. Heehee.. "Long, long ago, when many of you did not yet exist....". Yup. " Fun to feel 2 1/2 again.." Yes! And nice to know Ann P is as nice as she comes across in her writing.

Helle Patterson's avatar

Ah, the unremitting glamour! What a joy it is for us readers to to experience it second-hand in the comfort of our homes, instead along the cheese-plate trail. All strength to you, Ms Atwood!

Gaile Whelan Enns's avatar

Some of us think you have already done Glamour well. And you are so right about the value of the Prizes for writers, for book buyers and sellers.

Hilary West's avatar

So happy you got to say all that in Nashville, Tenn. Touché points and I laughed and laughed - dare I presume: with you of course.

Shelah Horvitz's avatar

Enjoyed reading your latest adventure. On the subject of lifetime achievement, I ran across this article this morning in the Jerusalem Post about how visuals from your _Handmaid's Tale_ have been used to protest the judicial overhaul (https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-protests-are-already-altering-trajectory-says-writer-margaret-atwood/) and reverse the push towards fascism. If this works, it will redeem my faith that great political art really can change the world. And wow, what a thing for you to have enabled. That would be one hell of a lifetime achievement.

Terry Fallis — A Novel Journey's avatar

Such an amazing and wonderful development on the literary landscape. Congrats to the winner, but also to the stalwart organizers who triumphed over such long odds.

Larry Hicock's avatar

Kudos to those who got this off the ground, including you.

Sally Lunn's avatar

I've been thinking of how much "Gilead" of The Handsmaids Tale ( one of my favorite books ) is being slowly, law by law, freedom by freedom, strengthened by the alt right. Totalitarian tendrils slowly eradicating our Democracy until they have a chokehold. Safe to say that the Oligarchy responsible for the new Gilead, brick by brick, doesn't realize that men will suffer unduly in Gilead, too. That realization would be counterintuitive to the campaign.

Cathy Shields's avatar

I admire you so much Margaret Atwood. I aspire to be the kind of writer you are. You are one of my literary heroes.

Sally Lunn's avatar

Did you mistake me for Margaret Atwoods Alias ? Bwahahahahaha- I wish, the woman is BRILLIANT

Carrie Kaufman's avatar

OK, so I'm reading the winner - When We Were Sisters. It is unrelentingly bleak. It's good. And once upon a time, when the world was full of hope, I liked unrelentingly bleak. It was a change of pace. Now it's just... another step in the overwhelming bleakness. I'll finish it. But I'm taking a break to watch the news. Which is less bleak. Oddly.

Justin Gil's avatar

I can hear your speech as I read it, haha I might try to find a video of it. It’s pretty funny.

I hope you make all the $$$ for Canadian writers and experience all the cheese boards.