The Handmaid’s Tale Author Margaret Atwood Announced as Keynote Speaker at Fairfield County’s Community Foundation’s Fund for Women & Girls Unite & Rise Luncheon, Friday, April 3, 2020

(Norwalk, Conn.) Straight from the written words of her most recent book, The Testaments, a sequel to her celebrated work, The Handmaid’s Tale and the critically acclaimed television series based on the book, Margaret Atwood will take center stage and be featured as the keynote speaker at the 2020 Fairfield County’s Community Foundation’s Fund for Women & Girls Annual Luncheon. This highly anticipated event themed Unite & Rise will be held on Friday, April 3, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, Connecticut. The theme, so timely in many respects, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to vote in the United States.

Margaret Atwood is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her most recent, record-breaking novel, The Testaments won the 2019 Booker Prize. Her other works include the Giller and Booker Prize-shortlisted: Oryx and Crake, Alias Grace, The Robber Bride, Cat’s Eye, and Booker winner The Blind Assassin. With The Handmaid’s Tale now a television series entering its fourth season, Atwood’s prescient prose depicting a dystopian future is even more relevant than ever. She has received the German Peace Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Franz Kafka International Literary Prize, and the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award, among others. In October 2019, Atwood was presented with the Companion of Honor award by Queen Elizabeth, making her only the third Canadian to receive the distinction.

“It is a privilege to welcome Margaret Atwood, one of the world’s best-selling authors, as our keynote speaker. Ms. Atwood, regarded for her feminist perspective, is a trailblazing icon whose work transcends generations,” said Tricia Hyacinth, Senior Director, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Fund for Women & Girls. “Our theme, Unite & Rise, is a call to action to advance gender equity and also pays homage to women’s suffrage. We look forward to this special gathering of friends and supporters, both new and existing” she concluded.

As the largest women’s fund in New England, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation’s Fund for Women & Girls has improved the lives of more than ten thousand women and girls in the region. The 2019 Annual Luncheon, featuring Tracee Ellis Ross and attended by more than 800 supporters, raised nearly $600,000. Over the years, The Fund for Women & Girls has invested more than $7.5 million in sustainable solutions to ensure all Fairfield County women and girls are economically secure, healthy and safe. Last year, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation’s Fund for Women & Girls awarded more than $870,000 in grants to 30 organizations advancing the health, safety and economic security of women and girls. Grants were bestowed to organizations that share a commitment to meet the unique needs of women and girls and fuel solutions through research-driven work.

The annual luncheon attracts hundreds of supporters from throughout Fairfield County, across Connecticut and beyond. Previous keynote speakers include: Tracee Ellis Ross, Billie Jean King, Abby Wambach, the late Dr. Maya Angelou, Geena Davis, Dr. Madeleine Albright, Soledad O’Brien, and Gloria Steinem.

Sponsorship information is available by emailing Rebecca Mandell, at RMandell@fccfoundation.org or calling 203.750. 3200. Ticket information for the Annual Luncheon can be found here

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