WINTERSON, JEANETTE

born Aug. 27, 1959, Manchester, Eng. British novelist noted for her quirky, unconventional, and often comic novels. Educated at St. Catherine's College, Oxford, Winterson held various jobs while working on her writing. Her first novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1985), won a Whitbread Award as that year's best first novel. It concerns the relationship between a young lesbian and her adoptive mother, a religious fanatic. The Passion (1987), her second work, is a picaresque historical novel that chronicles the adventures of Villanelle, an enslaved Venetian woman who is rescued by Henri, a cook from Napoleon's army. Attempting to reach Venice, the two travel through Russia in winter. Winterson's other novels include Sexing the Cherry (1989); Written on the Body (1992); Art and Lies (1994), about dehumanization and the absence of love in society; and Gut Symmetries (1997). Art Objects: Essays on Ecstasy and Effrontery, which covers various topics such as Gertrude Stein, modern literature, and lesbianism, was published in 1995. She also wrote screenplays for television.