In a gently lit reading room inside the University of Toronto鈥檚 Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, you can peruse the first draft of Margaret Atwood鈥檚 1985 dystopian classic, The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale.
鈥淚 was surprised how few changes she made,鈥� librarian Jennifer Toews told 麻豆传媒. 鈥淸It鈥檚] as if it was almost fully formed in her mind before she began to write.鈥�
On Sunday, the television adaptation of the Governor General鈥檚 Award-winning novel , including best drama series.
Written in pen on ruled pages in tight, cuneiform-like cursive complete with corrections and notes, the original manuscript, which likely dates from the early 1980s, is kept tucked inside a manila folder in the author has been donating to the library since the 1970s.
鈥淭his is probably our most-used manuscript collection,鈥� Toews said.
The library鈥檚 Atwood collection -- which spans a staggering 73 metres of shelf space -- has been attracting a steady stream of scholars and fans for decades, and with the exception of the author鈥檚 personal correspondences, the collection can be viewed in its entirety by anyone in the library鈥檚 supervised reading room.
鈥淧eople can come from all over the world,鈥� Toews said. 鈥淛apan, Israel, England, the States -- everywhere.鈥�
For information on how to view the manuscript and other Atwood papers, visit the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library鈥檚 website at .
With a report from 麻豆传媒鈥� John Vennavally-Rao
