Sarah Waters

Louisa Yates (University of Chester)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Gina Lyle (University of York), Graham MacPhee (University of Manchester), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Dates

Born 21 Jul 1966
Activity 1997-ongoing

Places

Born in Wales
Active in United Kingdom

Cultural Identities

LGBTQ

Activities

Primary

Novelist

Resources

Waters' Works

Save to Bookshelf

“Why, oh why, did I ever allow the phrase ‘lesbo-Victorian romp' to cross my lips?” (Patterson, “Sarah Waters: The Hot Tip”). Though Sarah Waters' plaintive tone is obviously tongue-in-cheek, it is certainly true that her novels are chiefly known for their playful, bawdy, and sensual qualities. Television adaptations of

Tipping the Velvet

(BBC: 2002) and

Fingersmith

(BBC: 2005) profited from this popular conception; Andrew Davies' adaptation of

Tipping the Velvet

, in particular, revelled in cheeky double entendres and explicit sex scenes. One specific encounter brought explicit lesbian sex to mainstream television audiences, with actors Anna Chancellor, Rachael Stirling, and one very significant prop – Monsieur Dildo.

Born in Neyland, Pembrokeshire in 1966, Waters describes

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1147 words

Citation: Yates, Louisa. "Sarah Waters". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 January 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=11906, accessed 25 November 2024.]

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