Patricia Highsmith Patricia Highsmith Patricia Highsmith (January 19, 1921 – February 4, 1995) was an American novelist and short story writer best known for her psychological thrillers, including her series of five novels featuring the character Tom Ripley. She wrote 22 novels and numerous short stories throughout her career spanning nearly five decades, and her work has led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her writing derived influence from existentialist literature, and questioned notions of identity and popular morality. She was dubbed "the poet of apprehension" by novelist Graham Greene. Her first novel, "Strangers on a Train", has been adapted for
Phyllis Nagy Royal Court Theatre in January 1998, in a co-production with "The Foundry"; and "The Talented Mr. Ripley", adapted from the novel by Patricia Highsmith which premiered at the Watford Palace Theatre, in October 1998, and later produced by the Melbourne Theatre Company in February 1999. Her version of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" was produced at Chichester Festival Theatre in the summer of 2003. In 2005, Nagy directed a production of "The Scarlet Letter" at the same venue. Nagy wrote the screenplay for "Carol", an adaption of the 1952 Patricia Highsmith novel "The Price of Salt" (later republished under the title