The Modern-Day Miniature Library

Underhand House: part one by Sarah Waters

Sarah Waters has contributed a story to the 100^th anniversary of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House at Windsor Castle.

One of the great wonders of the Dolls’ House is its Library, which captured the literary culture of the 1920s through miniature books penned by the era’s foremost writers, from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Vita Sackville-West to A. A. Milne and Thomas Hardy. Now, in an anniversary initiative championed by Her Majesty The Queen, twenty leading writers and illustrators have contributed handwritten manuscripts to establish a modern-day miniature library, once again providing a snapshot of contemporary literature in Britain.

The new manuscripts range from short stories, poetry collections and illustrated tales to plays, articles and recipes, many inspired by the Dolls’ House or written specially for the occasion. Each manuscript, measuring just 4.5cm high, has been hand-bound with a unique cover by a leading designer-bookbinder. The miniature books, which will become part of the Royal Collection, and including Underhand House: part one by Sarah Waters, can be seen throughout 2024 in the special display at Windsor Castle.

Sarah’s story was bound by Christopher Shaw.

Find out more about the 100th anniversary celebrations and the modern-day miniature library here.