Sarah Waters

Author:
Sarah Waters

Date of birth: 21-Jul-1966
Place of birth: Neyland, Wales UK

About the author:
Sarah Waters, born on July 21, 1966, in Neyland, Wales, is a critically acclaimed British author celebrated for her evocative historical fiction and nuanced explorations of gender, sexuality, and class. She earned her BA in English literature from the University of Kent, followed by an MA and PhD from Queen Mary, University of London. Her doctoral thesis focused on lesbian and gay historical fiction, which would go on to influence her literary voice and subject matter.

Waters made her literary debut with Tipping the Velvet in 1998, a bold and sensual coming-of-age novel set in Victorian London that follows the journey of Nan King, a music hall performer and lesbian navigating love and independence. The novel was praised for its originality and historical authenticity and was later adapted into a successful BBC miniseries.

Her second novel, Affinity (1999), a psychological ghost story set in a Victorian women’s prison, received further critical acclaim, winning the Somerset Maugham Award. Fingersmith (2002), a Dickensian tale of crime, deception, and desire, brought Waters international attention and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize. Its intricate plotting and dramatic twists earned it both literary accolades and a popular following. It, too, was adapted into a BBC miniseries and inspired the acclaimed Korean film The Handmaiden (2016).

Waters’ later novels—The Night Watch (2006), The Little Stranger (2009), and The Paying Guests (2014)—demonstrated her continued mastery of period fiction. These works expanded her historical scope into the 20th century, delving into wartime and post-war Britain, with themes of repression, trauma, and shifting social structures. The Little Stranger was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and adapted into a feature film in 2018.

Throughout her career, Waters has been recognised for her literary skill, deep historical research, and the way she brings queer lives into the foreground of historical narratives. She has been shortlisted multiple times for the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize, and her work has been widely translated and studied in academic settings.

Sarah Waters lives in London and continues to be a major voice in contemporary British fiction, admired for her intelligent, atmospheric, and daring storytelling.