WIN A Signed Copy Of Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood

Giveaway now closed.

I know lots of you love Margaret Atwood’s work so I’ve teamed up with Virago Books, publisher of books by women and a perfect match for this blog, to bring you a Margaret Atwood competition. There are nine competitions running on nine blogs across this week and next and each have a prize bundle which includes a signed copy of Margaret Atwood’s short story collection Stone Mattress, published in paperback last week, and something related to one of the stories from the collection.

I chose ‘The Dead Hand Loves You’ which means my prize bundle includes a nail varnish set. Why? Because it’s a story about a story about a sentient hand (no, that isn’t a typo); nail varnish is brilliant, and, having spent many a half hour painting my male friends’ fingernails in my parents’ kitchen, I don’t consider it a gendered prize.

To whet your appetite, here’s the opening:

The Dead Hand Loves You started as a joke. Or more like a dare. He should have been more careful about it, but the fact was he’d been blowing a fair amount of dope around that time and drinking too much inferior-grade booze, so he hadn’t been fully responsible. He shouldn’t be held responsible. He shouldn’t be held to the terms of the fucking contract. That’s what had shackled his ankles: the contract.

And he can never get rid of that contract, because there wasn’t any drop-dead date on it. He should have included a good-only-until clause, like milk cartons, like tubs of yoghurt, like mayonnaise jars; but what did he know about contracts back then? He’d been twenty-two.

He’d needed the money.

If you want to be in with a chance to win, all you need to do is leave a comment below before 4pm UK time on Friday 2nd October. A winner will be chosen via random number generator soon after the closing time and the winner notified by email. UK only, this time, I’m afraid. Good luck!

And if you fancy a personalised Stone Mattress ebadge, like mine above, then head over to the Virago site where they’re giving them away.

I’ve allocated everyone a number in order of entry so, for example, Cleo is #1, Jaime Walker #15, Georgina #28 and lindarumsey #46. And the random number generator says…

Congratulations, Rhoda K! Check your email for information as to what to do next.

Thanks to all of you for entering. There are eight more opportunities to win across eight more blogs. Information on the Virago website as to the blogs and the additional prizes.

Thanks to Virago for the prize.