KNOWN for her numerous works discussing powerful themes such as gender, religion, and politics, Margaret Atwood is a celebrated author.
On Monday, December 20, 2021, a hoax Twitter account gave fans a scare with the false news of Atwood's "death."
Why is Margaret Atwood 'dead' trending?
A viral tweet was sent out Monday morning, informing social media users of the "death" of beloved writer, Margaret Atwood.
"McLelland & Stewart announced the death of Canadian aurhor Margaret Atwood. Official note to be reeased soon," the tweet said.
With multiple spelling errors – including the name of the publishing company – the tweet was quickly debunked as false.
Twitter user Dan Barker shared a message addressing the false claim, writing: "I've seen a few people retweet this announcement of Margaret Atwood's death.
"Do be careful: – The older tweet spells her name wrong – The whole account – designed to appear to be her Canadian publisher's – spells the publisher's name wrong ('McLelland' vs 'McClelland')," he continued.
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The Handmaid's Tale author took to Twitter to address the hoax.
"Seems some jolly hoaxer has just Tweeted that I died. Not yet, pal! Otherwise put, if I'm dead I'm not telling," she wrote.
She wrote a follow-up tweet with a picture of her skiing that said, "And while we're in the Not Yet Dead dept: Happy Holidays, Merry Xmas, and Joyful Solstice!"
What have people said about the hoax tweet?
While many people flooded social media with tributes to the "late" author, others were quick to inform people about the lack of validity with the original debunked tweet.
A Twitter user wrote: "Rest in peace Margaret Atwood. You were a wonderful writer and a beautiful, caring human being."
They quickly responded to their own tweet, adding: "A hoax, apparently. Why would someone do that?"
"It's a hoax account. Margaret Atwood tweeted an hour ago," another user added.
One Twitter sleuth added to the debunking claims, writing: "Reasons to believe Margaret Atwood is still alive:
- her official account tweeted less than two hours ago linking to a story about electric vehicle charger availability in Canada: https://twitter.com/MargaretAtwood/status/1472912640695537669
- the account that tweeted the death claim has been deactivated."
The false news of Atwood's "death" was published just days after beloved feminist author passed away, Bell Hooks.
Who is Margaret Atwood?
Born on November 18, 1939, Margaret Atwood is known as a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor.
The 82-year-old has published a plethora of books, including 18 works of poetry, 18 novels, 11 non-fiction stories, short fiction works, children's books, and graphic novels.
While many of her stories have been adapted into television shows and movies, one of the most famous retellings is The Handmaid's Tale.
Atwood has won numerous awards, including the Booker Prize, Governor General's Award, and Nelly Sachs Prize.
She married once to Jim Polk, from 1968 until 1973. Shortly after their divorce, Atwood formed a long-term relationship with novelist Graeme Gibson.
The two share one child together, Eleanor Atwood Gibson, 45.
Atwood and Gibson remained together until his death in 2019.
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