Sarah WatersHistorical Fiction · Fiction·b. 1966
Tipping the Velvet
Synopsis
Nan King, a young oyster girl, finds her world transformed when she encounters the dazzling male impersonator Kitty Butler. Drawn into the vibrant world of music halls, Nan becomes Kitty's dresser, and their professional partnership soon blossoms into a secret affair. Follow their journey from Canterbury to the glittering stages of Leicester Square as they navigate love and ambition in Victorian England.
How it reads
Prose complexity 7/10
Genres
Characters
Nan KingProtagonist
Kitty ButlerSupporting
Subjects
19th CenturyCross-dressersEnglandEnglish dramaFemale impersonatorsFerro-Grumley Award for Lesbian Fiction FinalistFiction, lesbianGay menGreat BritainIdentityLambda Literary AwardsLambda Literary Award WinnerLesbiansLgbtq+LGBTQ historical fictionLGBTQ novelsMusic-halls (Variety-theaters, cabarets, etc.)Relations with lesbiansSocial life and customsTransvestitesVictoria, 1837-1901Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
Awards
- Betty Trask Award1999
- Lambda Literary Award2000
- The Publishing Triangle Award2000
