OLIVER Twist Charles Dickens and Illustrated by  BIRMINGHAM1996 1ST edition  ~ abridged by Lesley Baxter ~ . Cloth bound hardcover with dust jacket. Tight binding, clean. exce4llent condition. sharp corners, straight spine, no fraying.Oliver Twist;  is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838.The story follows the titular orphan, who, after being raised in a workhouse, escapes to London, where he meets a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal Fagin, discovers the secrets of his parentage, and reconnects with his remaining family. This edition is illustrated by Christian Birmingham who is a British artist who has illustrated some of the finest authors in children's and adult literature. he has won the Whitbread (now Costa) Children's Book of the Year, the Smarties Book Prize and the Red House Children's Book Award;  His illustration artwork has been exhibited at the Mall Galleries, Dover Street Gallery and the Australian High Commission in London;