Tipping the Velvet

Requested by Folio Society customers in our Pride Month survey, <i>Tipping the Velvet</i> is the acclaimed debut novel from the great historical fiction writer Sarah Waters. Sensuous, witty and completely absorbing, it offers a glimpse into both the glamour and darkness of Victorian London through the story of Nan King, an oyster girl who falls in love with the charismatic male impersonator Kitty Butler. From the Kentish coast to the capital's rowdy music halls, Nan's journey is one of fame, heartbreak and self-discovery, told with all the colour and sweep of a Dickensian novel.<br><br>

We commissioned fine artist Kristin Kwan to create the wraparound cover artwork, which shows Nan and Kitty peeking through red velvet theatre curtains. The slipcase is decorated with a delicately blocked oyster and a violet, a long-standing symbol of lesbian love. Inside are six full-page illustrations, all created by the artist using oil paint on gessoed paper.