The Booker Prize's jury has flouted rules in awarding this year's winners by jointly awarding Margaret Atwood for her book 'The Testament' and 'Girl, Woman, Other' by Bernardine Evaristo. Though it is a rule to choose one winner, in 2019, the jury thought it wise to not follow it. The judges reportedly insisted that they could not separate the two books provided they are equally amazing and important. With this Bernardine Evaristo becomes the first black woman to win the prestigious award since its creation in 1969. 

Read: Booker Prize Awarded Jointly To Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo

Jury flouts the rule

As per reports, rules were changed after the last tie in 1992 to choose one winner. Even this year, the jury's decision was not allowed yet after 5 hours of deliberation they came down to the decision to flout the rules. Peter Florence, the chair of the five-member judging panel, said to the media that they wanted both the authors to split the GBP 50,000 award at a gala ceremony at Guildhall. In a video posted on The Booker Prize twitter handle, Peter said that the more they talked about the books, the more they loved them both so much that they want each to win.

Read: Atwood Tipped By UK Bookmakers To Win Fiction’s Booker Prize

Read: Booker Prize: Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie Nominated With 4 Others

Margaret and Bernadine express happiness over the decision

Speaking to the media after the award ceremony, Margaret Atwood expressed her joy at sharing the award with a younger writer. Joking about her age, Atwood said that she is too elderly and that she did not really need all the attention. She is very glad that Bernadine is getting the attention instead, she said. Adding more to her response, Atwood said that it would have been embarrassing for her to be all alone at the Booker's and that she is pleased that Bernadine was there. Similarly, Bernadine Evaristo said that her motive to write the book was to highlight black women. She said that British black women very well know that unless they speak about themselves, there would not be anyone there to voice them. She also said that it is an incredible thing to share the award with a writer like Margaret Atwood, praising the fact that Atwood though being a legend is so generous. 

Read: Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood In 2019 Man Booker Longlist