Hello and welcome back to our provider interview series 'A Tryst With...' We're so happy to have you! Today we're catching up with London Escort Amelia Swann.
We’d love to know a little of your backstory - how did you get here and what do you do?
My journey into sex work is a fairly classic one – I was doing a PhD which I was lucky enough to get funding for. However, living in London is an expensive habit, and the small stipend I was given per year rapidly was eaten up by rent, bills, and general existence. I knew a lot of sex workers already through social circles and activism, and it was a sort of natural and easy slide. I was so lucky to have an incredible community and support system around me when I started – I cannot imagine what I would have done without the friends who helped me out, took my photos, helped write my copy and generally made me feel safe and secure. As someone who is into BDSM in my personal life, doing fetish work alongside GFE felt very easy and natural for me, and so that’s what I’ve been doing for the last seven years!
You are based in London where sex work is legal, or only partially criminalized, and extremely restricted. What are some ways you feel the law has failed sex workers?
I think in London, the law fails sex workers in the same way it fails so many other precarious workers. In general, the more marginalised and precarious you are, the more likely you are to be failed or even actively targeted by the law. It really depends on who you are, and how you work. I feel that doing sex work in London, or in the UK in general, can be a very easy experience for some, especially if you’re white, work indoors, have settled status, don’t have children etc. I see some people on Twitter talking about how we don’t have to worry about being evicted, stuff like that –- which is definitely true for some people! But for other sex workers, there is the constant threat of eviction, or having your children removed, or deportation. And to ignore that just because the sale of sex is legal, is a mistake. In my opinion, the law should be there to protect the most marginalised – but so often, those are the people who it fails to protect.
We know that working as a sex worker can be expensive to maintain. Would you be able to speak about the costs, both emotional and monetary, of professionally performing femininity?
This is such an interesting thing to think about because I’ve been a sex worker for so long now that sometimes I wonder which parts of my high femme identity are things I do because of work, and which parts are due to my work. It is undeniably expensive, getting regular hair appointments, manicures, threading, tinting, etc, and there are times when I sometimes feel like trying to fit all of these appointments into an already busy schedule is nightmarish. However, I think there’s really something to be said for the forced downtime which some of these practices take. For example, getting a manicure – you’re forced to sit down for an hour, no phone, and just chat to the person in front of you, or sit in companionable silence. It’s actually really lovely, especially for someone like myself who is almost always rushing from one place to another.
I also love the feeling of being ‘put together’ that things like having a blow dry, or a manicure, can bring. Even with no makeup, dressed down in leggings and a jumper, if my nails look good – I feel good! That small nod to glamour is really valuable, and can really lift my mood. So whilst there are days when I truly feel I cannot be bothered with professional femininity, I know that more often than not, it will make me feel better when I put the effort in.
For escorts, lingerie is a core part of our work uniform. What are some of your favorite lingerie brands, why do you love them and how do you think other brands could improve?
I love Playful Promises! They have a great size range, are very pro sex worker, and just have some beautiful stuff. Scantilly by Curvy Kate is also great, and has some very hot sets.
Something I find very frustrating as a plus size person is when brands say they will do custom plus sizes – all you have to do is email them. I hate this! If you’re happy to make bigger sizes, advertise that properly! Thin people don’t have to send a special email asking for their size, why should I? It sounds silly but honestly it drives me wild.
Is there a book, blog, tv show, or movie that you’re into at the moment? Why?
I loved Jury Duty! I thought it was so cleverly done, hilarious but also really heart-warming. Plus I have a real niche interest in the inner workings of reality television so this scratched a very particular type of itch. I devoured Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield on holiday. It was haunting and I genuinely could not put it down. It made me feel unsettled in the way that only really good writing can.
Sex workers have been known to end up in interesting work situations, do you have any funny stories that make you belly laugh?
Many years ago, on my very first overnight, I had agreed to meet my client at a fancy restaurant. I was quite nervous, as this was the longest booking I’d ever done. I got to the restaurant to discover there was no signal, so my texts letting him know I had arrived had not gone through. Eventually, I went up to the maître d' and asked if anyone with my client’s (fairly unusual) name had arrived. He said yes, of course – and directed me to a man at the bar. I introduced myself to completely blank stares. I repeated, ‘It’s Amelia,’ about five times before realising this was not in fact my client, just another man waiting for his date who happened to have the same name. I nearly ran out of the restaurant when my actual client arrived and recognised me! I wasn’t laughing at the time, but now I think it’s hysterical! God knows what the maître d' thought…
What do you do to relax, are there any specific ways you like to indulge and dote on yourself?
If I’m by myself then my all time favourite thing to do is cook myself an indulgent meal and drink a glass of rose or two in my garden. Recently this has almost always involved homemade guacamole and then black bean quesadillas, but I’m always open to suggestions. Cooking feels really calming.
It might sound a bit cliché, but spending time with my friends, especially other sex workers, is absolutely my favourite way to relax. The solidarity and care we extend to each other is unparalleled. I’m really lucky that almost all of my best friends are other sex workers, and whether it’s relaxing in style at a luxury spa or just getting takeaway and gossiping in someone’s living room, no-one makes me feel better or laugh harder.
My ideal date would consist of: I’d start with a gallery, spending an hour or so getting to know each other and the art; then we’d move to drinks somewhere dark and smoky, perhaps dinner, and then slipping back to mine to end the night on a high.
A fellow sex worker I find inspiring is: This is so tough as there are so many people I adore, but probably Valerie August - she not only has one of the biggest hearts you’ll ever find, she also has an incredible eye for beauty, and can make me scream with laughter.
The nicest place I’ve ever been is: My friend’s house in the south-west of France - we go every year and it holds a special place in my heart, as well as being breathtakingly beautiful.
I get a big thrill out of: Jumping into very cold water!
One of my everyday hobbies is: Cooking, especially for others – nothing beats seeing people enjoying a feast I’ve created for them.
Want to meet London escort Amelia Swann in person?
Head over to her profile! 👇👇👇
