Tim Walker's Fairyland
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY PUBLICATIONS
2026
nidottu
World-renowned fashion photographer, Tim Walker, has spent the past five years creating a new body of work exploring queer identity, love and community. The result is an unforgettable celebration of LGBTQ+ trailblazers in Britain and beyond, all photographed in Walker’s inimitable style. Tim Walker's Fairyland: Love and Legends explores LGBTQ+ identity, community, and love through the lens of one of the world's foremost photographers. Within, readers join Walker on a deeply personal journey exploring over half a century of activism, through portraits that range from the fantastical and exuberant to the intimate and grounded. Featuring photographs of many extraordinary activists, performers, filmmakers, artists, and writers including Alan Bennett, Bernardine Evaristo, Harry Styles, Ncuti Gatwa, Miriam Margolyes, Isaac Julien, Chappell Roan, and the Pet Shop Boys. Less familiar faces also feature, including the health professionals and medical researchers working at the frontline of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Walker champions the trailblazers who fought for LGBTQ+ equality, and the ongoing work of the generation following in their footsteps. Alongside the photography, a series of compelling essays add emotional depth and insight. Author and journalist Shon Faye contributes a personal essay reflecting on identity, love and relationships within the LGBTQ+ community, offering an intimate perspective on belonging, connection, and self-understanding. Renowned screenwriter Russell T. Davies provides a deeply personal reflection on writing It's a Sin, exploring its cultural impact and the profound ways it resonated with audiences across generations. Completed by additional incisive and illuminating essays from Travis Alabanza, Lisa Power and Joelle Taylor, and conversations between Walker and curator Susanna Brown, Tim Walker's Fairyland is a place where everyone has the freedom to be themselves, a vivid tapestry of his many inspirations and influences.
