The Title IX Department and It’s On Us Club will welcome author Sarah Vaughan to campus for a virtual Q&A and discussion of her bestselling novel Anatomy of a Scandal at noon on Thursday, April 24, in the Miller Room on the second floor of the Henry Student Center.
Since its inception in 2022, the Wilkes Title IX Book Club has explored novels that focus on themes of sexual violence and/or sexual exploitation. “I have been engaging with students, faculty and staff regarding these books and they allow people to discuss difficult topics like sexual violence in the context of a novel,” says Elizabeth Leo, the University’s general counsel and Title IX coordinator.
Anatomy of a Scandal looks inside a seemingly perfect marriage and takes readers into the courtroom when that world is turned upside down. Sophie and James have been a couple since their days at Oxford, but when he makes a shocking confession, Sophie wonders if she ever really knew the man she married. Kate, the prosecutor, is certain she knows the type of man James is, and she’s certain he is guilty. In this gripping psychological drama, no one is safe from past secrets or present consequences.
Anatomy of a Scandal was translated into 26 languages and brought to life on the small screen in a Netflix limited series starring Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery and Rupert Friend. Vaughan’s 15 years of experience as a journalist offered great preparation for the thriller exploring power, privilege and misogyny, lending authenticity to the police investigations and criminal proceedings in her work.
Leo read Anatomy of a Scandal when it was first published and enjoyed the Netflix adaptation. Intrigued by the story, she hopes that Vaughan’s book, set partially on a college campus, will resonate with Wilkes students. “In our country, the sexual assault that occurs on the university campus in the novel would fall squarely into the purview of Title IX and it serves as a stark reminder of the prevalence of sexual assault on campuses,” says Leo.
Senior Marytere Quintana-Avila feels the novel fits the It’s On Us mission of combatting sexual assault and fostering awareness on campus while also keeping readers on the edge of their seats. “Sarah Vaughan does an incredible job of bringing the characters’ stories to life while showcasing the importance of sexual assault awareness and combating these issues that are becoming increasingly predominant,” says Quintana-Avila.
The TV series has also kept viewers riveted. Vaughan was in an enviable position for an author, with several production teams vying for the rights to Anatomy of a Scandal. She chose Made Up Stories and 3 Dot Productions based on their commitment to telling women’s stories and putting women behind the camera. They also brought Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies to the screen, so Vaughan felt like her thriller, not to mention the next one, were in good hands.
“They completely shared my vision for the book and were eager to involve me. I gave notes on the scripts and was very clear that they were legally accurate and faithful to the depiction of entitlement,” says Vaughan. “It was such a brilliant experience, I sold my second legal thriller, Reputation, to them.”
The author is currently reviewing page proofs for her next novel, Based on a True Story, and working on various other projects, including a script and a new novel.
Even with her busy schedule, Vaughan feels compelled to make time for reader events like the one at Wilkes. She considers Anatomy of a Scandal her most personal novel — one in which she exorcised a sexual assault she experienced. She sold the book a year before the Harvey Weinstein allegations broke and #MeToo became an established movement. With publication three months after, the novel resonated with women in the moment and remains all too relevant. “Rape convictions are notoriously difficult to secure,” says Vaughan. “Any instance of lawyers discussing the difficulty of this, and exploring the issues, seemed welcome.”
When she’s not writing, Vaughan reads crime novels to stay on top of the genre. She also enjoys literary fiction, with Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan among her recent favorites. Vaughan also enjoys visiting her daughter at Oxford and spending time with her 17-year-old son. A Pilates session or walk with her cockapoo, Olive, provides a good antidote to too much time at the keyboard. In a perfect world, she’d take those walks with her husband, kids and dog on the cliffs of North Cornwall, the setting of her upcoming thriller, Based on a True Story. It turns out Vaughan’s mind is never far from the scene of the crime.
There’s still time to Zoom with Sarah Vaughan at noon on Thursday, April 24.
Join us in the Miller Room on the second floor of the Henry Student Center. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Register at wilkes.edu/vaughan.
You can also participate wherever you are via Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/94215374743?pwd=sq3R1DTE5cHoowKN5cilL5dspdhNXu.1.