The Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood fears her dystopian novel can ‘now happen anywhere’
Author says The Handmaid’s Tale becoming ‘more and more plausible’
- Award-winning author Margaret Atwood has stated that the dystopian future depicted in her seminal novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is becoming "more and more plausible" in the contemporary world.
- Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Atwood revealed she initially considered the plot "bonkers" but noted a significant shift in its relevance since 2016.
- She observed that while the distinctive handmaid outfits might not appear, the broader scenario of the Republic of Gilead, where women are held in subservient roles, seems increasingly likely.
- American women have adopted red handmaid garb as symbols of protest, especially following the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022.
- Atwood, however, expressed a degree of optimism, suggesting that oppressive regimes are ultimately unsustainable and highlighting the resilience and diversity of the American populace.