Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo have been named the joint winners of the 2019 Booker Prize.

It is the first time in more than 20 years the prize has been split. The news was announced at the Guildhall in London on Monday evening. According to the BBC, the judges said they had made the decision as they "couldn't separate" Atwood's The Testaments and Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other.  Peter Florence, the chairman of the judges, explained why they had decided to "flout the rules" and name two winners. "The more we talked about them, the more we found we loved them both so much we wanted them both to win," he said, adding that both books "have urgent things to say." He continued:

"They also happen to be wonderfully compelling, page-turning thrillers, which can speak to the most literary audience, to readers who maybe are only reading one, or in this case I hope two books a year, and can speak at different levels to all sorts of different readerships. "So in that sense they are, I hope and believe, really valuable Booker Prize winners."

Evaristo is the first black woman to win the Booker Prize, while 79-year-old Atwood is the oldest winner. As the pair stood on stage after the win was announced, Atwood jokingly said:

"I would have thought I would have been too elderly, and I kind of don't need the attention, so I'm very glad that you're getting some. "It would have been quite embarrassing for me… if I had been alone here, so I'm very pleased that you're here too."

In her acceptance speech, Evaristo said how "incredible" it was to be sharing the prize with Atwood - "who's such a legend and so generous." She added:

"A lot of people say, 'I never thought it would happen to me', and I will say I am the first black woman to win this prize, and I hope that honour doesn't last too long. I hope other people come forward now."

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