Margaret Atwood Is Writing a Sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale

On Wednesday morning, Margaret Atwood, author of the best-selling novel The Handmaid’s Tale, announced that, nearly 34 years after the first novel’s release, she will write a sequel. The Testaments will be published on Sept. 10, 2019.

Atwood announced the news via Twitter, writing, “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.”

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/e1umh5FwpXpic.twitter.com/pePp0zpuif

— Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) November 28, 2018

“Everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we’ve been living in,” Atwood adds on her website.

The Handmaid’s Tale, which was published in 1985, solidified Atwood’s reputation as a prominent writer of the 20th century. While the book was critically acclaimed and praised for how it explores the themes of women’s rights, the subjugation of women who inhabit a patriarchal and totalitarian society, and women’s independence, it was Hulu’s 2017 TV adaptation of the novel that caused a resurgence of fame and acclaim for the novel and its story.

Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale has achieved massive critical acclaim. Its first season won eight Primetime Emmy Awards out of 13 nominations, among them the award for “Outstanding Drama Series,” making it the first show produced by Hulu to win that award. It is also the first series exclusively on a streaming service to win an Emmy award for “Outstanding Series.” The show has been renewed for a third season. In 2017, the novel was on the Sunday Times bestseller list for 16 weeks.

Atwood states that The Testaments will not be connected to the TV adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale.

Again, The Testament arrives on Sept. 10, 2019. In the meantime, revisit Paste’s favorite quotes from The Handmaid’s Tale here.