This is the official website of Sarah Waters, the award-winning, bestselling author of five novels to-date: Tipping the Velvet, Affinity, Fingersmith, The Night Watch and her latest title, The Little Stranger.
The site contains plenty of information about the author and her books as well as various extras, including videos and photos. The news section is updated by Sarah's UK publisher, Virago.
On Monday 26th March at Guildhall, London, the Clerk of the Chamberlain’s Court presented Sarah Waters with this wonderful honour.
The Freedom of the City is an important traditional event in London’s history that can trace its roots to the 13th century, and it is typically presented to individuals associated with London who have made a significant impact in their field of work.
A number of ancient privileges are associated with the Freedom – although they are more a product of collective memory than of documented evidence. They include the right to herd sheep over London bridge, to go about the City with a drawn sword, and if convicted of a capital offence, to be hung with a silken rope.
In Finland, book bloggers voted for best fiction titles that were translated into Finnish in 2011. Altogether 32 bloggers posted their top picks giving out 135 votes for 61 different titles, and Sarah Waters's The Little Stranger got the most votes.
The book is called Vieras kartanossa in Finnish. It was published by Tammi Publishers and translated by Helene Bützow.
With only 90 minutes of screen time to portray a 480 page book, it was always going to be a tough job. But with an incredible cast, spectacular cinematography and an adapted screenplay by Paula Milne, the result was mesmerising, with Anna Maxwell Martin, Jodie Whittaker and Claire Foy all delivering memorable performances.
Moving back through the 1940s, through air raids, blacked out streets, illicit liaisons, sexual adventure, and ending back at the beginning in 1941, The Night Watch offered tantalising glimpses of clandestine worlds. And clearly, we weren’t the only ones that were impressed. The Night Watch received an array of incredible responses, some of which are below:
"Insanely tender… Maxwell Martin plays [Kay] brilliantly. Every performance was perfectly weighted – and it looked ravishing” The Times
“Fans of Sarah Waters’ novel will not be disappointed by this beautifully shot adaptation by Paula Milne” Observer
“An intriguing, atmospheric tale of forbidden love” Daily Mail
“Absorbing” The Telegraph
“Gorgeous adaptation of the Sarah Waters novel… the performances are involving and beautifully understated against the backdrop of the London blitz and its horrors” Guardian
“The cast is strong and its portrayal of 1940s sexual nonconformists as spy-like is vividly intact” Sunday Times, Pick of the Week
The BBC TV adaptation for The Night Watch will be shown on Tuesday 12th July at 9pm, on BBC2.
Starring Anna Maxwell Martin, Jodie Whittaker, Claire Foy and Harry Treadaway, the 90-minute adaptation is already shaping up to be one of the TV events of the year. There has already been a huge amount of coverage, including this set report from the Telegraph which features interviews with Sarah and some of the cast.
Hilary Salmon, Executive Producer, said: "We are very proud to be making this ambitious film for BBC Two, bringing to our audience the untold stories of ordinary people as they struggle to find love and tenderness during the uncertain nights of the London Blitz. Paula's beautiful script has vividly brought to life Sarah Waters' astonishing and revelatory novel. We are delighted with the outstanding cast we've assembled who represent some of the best young talent in the UK today."
The supporting cast includes: Julia Standing played by Anna Wilson-Jones (Hotel Babylon), Reggie played by Liam Garrigan (Holby City), Nancy played by Claudie Blakley (Lark Rise To Candleford) and Mr Mundy played by Kenneth Cranham (Tess Of The D'Urbervilles.)
The TV tie-in edition is out now.
