Winterson’s Tale
JEANETTE WINTERSON TALKS TO EDEN CARTER WOOD ABOUT REWORKING THE BARD, LOVE, ORIGINALITY, AND SECOND CHANCES
JEANETTE WINTERSON
PHOTO SAM CHURCHILL
Jeanette Winterson’s latest novel is the first in a series of eight reimaginings of Shakespeare by popular novelists, timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death. A couple of chapters into her reworking of The Winter’s Tale, we find her version of jealous, paranoid King Leontes in bed with his best friend Xeno, wondering aloud whether or not Elvis was gay. By this point, if you hadn’t already, you realise you’re not in Sicilia any more. Set after the financial crash, and featuring many potent symbols of modern life – city bankers, video games, girl groups – Winterson’s novel picks up Shakespeare’s romance-slash-problem play, and, alert to the many gaps in that source text, runs with it.