Tipping the Velvet is a 1998 lesbian novel written by Sarah Waters, set in the Victorian era. It was her debut novel. It tells the story of Nancy Astley, an oyster girl from the English town of Whitstable, who falls in love with a male impersonator and stage performer named Kitty Butler. The book, like the rest of Waters' novels, has a strong lesbian theme, though Tipping the Velvet in particular deals very candidly with the topic of lesbian sex and desire along with the role that economic class can play in oppression. The title is Victorian slang for cunnilingus.

Waters was studying for her PhD, writing a dissertation on gay and lesbian literature in the Victorian era, titled "Wolfskins and Togas: Lesbian and Gay Historical Fictions from 1870 to the Present," when she decided she would rather invent stories than study them. In wanting to write an historical novel, the concept, she said, made her think of Patience and Sarah, "Two women rather isolated, probably living in the country, coming together against all odds and setting up life together in a small-scale sort of way. I just thought, God, there's so much more to lesbian history than that." Expounding on that inspiration, she added, "I wanted to write a story that had lesbians at the heart of urban life; that played with literary models; and, more importantly, showed that there was not just one way of being a lesbian, but many."

Tipping the Velvet is a 2002 BBC television drama serial based on the bestselling debut novel by Sarah Waters of the same name. It originally screened in three episodes on BBC Two and was produced for the BBC by the independent production company Sally Head Productions. It stars Rachael Stirling, Keeley Hawes, and Jodhi May.

Directed by Geoffrey Sax, the novel was adapted by acclaimed screenwriter Andrew Davies. The production was made available on DVD by BBC Worldwide soon after broadcast.

Dramatised from Sarah Waters' acclaimed debut novel, "Tipping the Velvet" tells the story of Nancy Astley (Rachael Stirling), a young girl who works as cook and waitress in her Father's seaside restaurant - that is until she witnesses the extraordinary performance of a new-to-town male impersonator - Kitty Butler (Keeley Hawes) - and begins to undergo a complete life transformation. Suddenly whipped up - and quickly flung down - by her love affair with Kitty, she experiences both euphoria and deep disillusion as she embarks on a seven-year journey of self-discovery - finally realizing that a life of sensation just isn't enough. Written by Kanji