‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Copy That Margaret Atwood Fireproofed Reaps Six-Figure Sum

Image via The Unburnable Book

Fighting fire with fire, the literary great Margaret Atwood and publisher Penguin Random House created an “unburnable” copy of her famed novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, to protest censorship. The classic has faced bans in American schools since its release in 1985, making it the perfect advocate for titles that have been silenced due to their explorations of controversial issues.

The one-of-a-kind copy went up for auction at Sotheby’s New York on May 23 to raise funds for PEN America, a nonprofit promoting free expression in literature.

It sold for US$130,000 on Tuesday, with all proceeds going to this charity.

To fireproof the book, graphic arts studio The Gas Company Inc and creative agency Rethink used non-flammable materials like fire-resistant inks, nickel wire, stainless steel, and aluminum, CNN reports.

The copy’s flammability was later demonstrated by Atwood with a flamethrower. 

“I’m very pleased that the one-of-a-kind Unburnable Book of The Handmaid’s Tale has raised so much money for PEN America,” Atwood says in a press release. “Free speech issues are being hotly debated, and PEN is a sane voice amidst all the shouting… We hope it raises awareness and leads to reasoned discussion.”

[via Artnet News and CNN, cover image via The Unburnable Book]