Johanna Kamermans’ Erregungen – Champagner für die Transfrau (Excitations – Champagne for the Trans Woman) is not just a novel, it’s a dazzling performance on paper. Described as a “Tatsachenroman,” or factual novel, it blends autobiographical truth with the glitter of cabaret, offering a rare glimpse into one transgender woman's courageous journey through transition during the legendary, and often wild, 1970s.
This is no dry memoir or didactic political treatise. Kamermans offers readers a theatrical experience that is never dull, never ugly, and never preachy. Delivered with a wink and generous doses of humor, her storytelling becomes a kind of literary cabaret, joyfully incorrect, irresistibly engaging, and filled with affection both given and received.
What makes this book so refreshing is its tone: it tackles the topic of being transgender not as a burden, but as something almost delightfully ordinary, just another path to self-discovery, albeit one paved with challenges, surprises, and, yes, even champagne. Kamermans’ narrative exudes the flair of someone who lived boldly and beautifully, transforming personal struggle into a celebration of life and identity.
The backdrop of the 1970s is essential here. Kamermans takes us back to a time of radical change, sexual liberation, and cultural revolution. Her honest, often surprising recollections paint a vivid social portrait of an era that is as unforgettable as it is unrepeatable. And within that setting, we witness the author’s gender transition unfold, not with solemnity, but with a joie de vivre that is as infectious as it is empowering.In my 2014 interview with Johanna Kamermans for Heroines of My Life (read it here), I had the joy of discovering more about her personality: sharp-witted, refreshingly unfiltered, and deeply thoughtful. Her book captures this same spirit. Whether she’s recounting moments of love, lust, or self-realization, Kamermans’ voice remains unmistakably hers, witty, unapologetic, and unmistakably human.
Erregungen – Champagner für die Transfrau is ultimately more than a personal tale; it’s a cultural document, a celebration of womanhood in its many forms, and a loving tribute to a time when daring to be yourself meant pushing boundaries, breaking norms, and living as if every day were a stage.
If you're looking for a story that dances between truth and theatre, laughter and longing, champagne and self-discovery, this is it.
Available via Amazon
Photo via The Heroines of My Life
Other publications about Johanna Kamermans:
Interview with Johanna Kamermans
Johanna Kamermans (born 1938) is a writer, translator, and former striptease dancer from the Netherlands. With a career spanning nearly 15 years, she worked in prestigious cabarets...
Freier Fall: Johanna K.
Director: Klaus Wildenhahn Release Year: 1993 In Freier Fall: Johanna K., the legendary documentary filmmaker Klaus Wildenhahn offers not just a portrait, but a raw, unvarnished glimpse into a life...
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