KITAAB

This year both the Nobel and the Booker prizes have been surrounded by controversies. The Booker Prize announced two winners — Margaret Atwood for The Testaments and Bernardine Evaristo for Girl, Woman, Other.

While rulings had been made earlier to rule out the eventuality for such an occurrence , a CNN report says: “This will only be the third time that a dual award has been given. In fact, the award changed its rules in 1993 to clearly state that ‘the prize may not be divided or withheld’ after the second two-author win.”

The £50,000 will be shared by the two writers.

Public opinion expressed in tweets said: “My only booker take is that it is a shame that the first black woman to win has to share the glory” and “The Booker has simultaneously delegitimized its own worth and diminished the achievements of a woman of color with this rousing double win.”

But what did the authors say?

Evaristo said:”I am the [only] black woman to win this prize. I hope that honour doesn’t last too long. I hope that other people come forwards now,” 

And Atwood joked: “I would have thought that I would have been too elderly and I kind of don’t need the attention, so I’m very glad that you’re getting some.”

Read more about the two writers and their reactions in The Guardian.

 

Dear Reader, Please Support Kitaab! 

Help promote Asian writing and writers. Become a Donor today!

https://www.patreon.com/kitaab