A fiery tale by Margaret Atwood, who develops a fireproof version of The Handmaid’s Tale in protest against abandonment culture and book bans
- A burn proof copy of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ has been made and will be auctioned
- Author Margaret Atwood, 82, aimed a flamethrower at her bestseller
- The one-time edition was created as a reaction to the abandonment culture and book bans
Author Margaret Atwood has brought a flamethrower to her most famous creation – and nothing could give her more satisfaction.
The 82-year-old author of The Handmaid’s Tale has responded to rising retraction culture and book bans by developing a version of the novel that cannot be destroyed.
The fireproof, one-of-a-kind edition was auctioned off and all proceeds will be donated to PEN America, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting free speech.
In a promotional video for the auction, the author wears fireproof gloves to light the winning 1985 book.
Author Margaret Atwood used a flamethrower near a fireproof copy of The Handmaid’s Tale that is being auctioned to raise money for charity PEN America
The special edition of the book was created in response to book censorship in American schools
Since its release in 1985, The Handmaid’s Tale has been banned from schools in the US and UK for more than 30 years due to its vulgarity, profanity and sexual themes.
It was ranked in the top 40 of 100 books most questioned by the American Library Association.
The book’s promotional website claims it was “designed to protect this important story and stand as a powerful symbol against censorship.”
Mark Doyle, managing director of publisher Penguin Random House, said the “non-burnable edition is a timely reminder of what’s at stake in the fight against censorship.”
In a statement, the company added, “Across the United States and around the world, books are being challenged, banned and even burned. So we created a special edition of a book that has been contested and banned for decades.
“This edition of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale has been printed and bound using fireproof material and is completely non-flammable. It is meant to protect this vital story and stand as a powerful symbol against censorship.’
The book tells the story of an alternative, ultra-religious and oppressive America in which maids are forced to give birth to barren women of higher social status.
His red cape and white hooded costumes have been seen at protests for reproductive and women’s rights.