Margaret Atwood wrote new Handmaid's Tale material: Listen to an audiobook clip

Just in time for the new Hulu version of The Handmaid’s Tale (and, of course, our current political climate), Margaret Atwood has written a continuation of her timeless dystopian novel exclusively for Audible, performed by a full cast for a new version of the audiobook. The rest of the book is performed by Claire Danes.

Beginning after the novel’s famous final line, “Are there any questions?” the new material comprises a Q&A between the chair of the Symposium, the main speaker, and various members of the audience. Notably, the book’s original ending and this new Q&A take place in 2195, years after the events of the book, when Gilead has ceased to exist.

“I’m delighted to see the novel that I wrote over thirty years ago come alive on new platforms every year,” Atwood said in a release. “The roots of my original book are in audio — Offred’s story was recorded, not written, and even the ‘Historical Notes’ are a voice — so I was excited to extend the story with additional material meant specifically to be heard. … The Handmaid’s Tale is alive, it seems — and like all living things, it grows and multiplies!”

EW is thrilled to offer an exclusive excerpt from the new material, below. To hear the rest, The Handmaid’s Tale Audible exclusive is available for purchase now.

The Handmaid’s Tale series debuts on Hulu on April 26.