Margot Wilson - Glimmerings: Trans Elders Tell Their Stories

2019, Canada, English, Margot Wilson,

Full title: "Glimmerings: Trans Elders Tell Their Stories" by Margot Wilson.

"Glimmerings is a compilation of stories told by 15 trans elders. Champions exist in every community. These are the courageous, resolute, and independent spirits who defy, disrupt, and challenge the status quo; who remain unwaveringly true to themselves and their principles; who resist, persist, and insist on authenticity; who blaze trails for themselves as well as for those who follow; who create opportunities for understanding, learning, and change in the world.

Glimmerings offers stories of trans, non-binary and Two-Spirit champions, innovators, and trailblazers who came of age in the 1930s to the 1980s, before the age of global communication, at a time when the Internet and worldwide connectivity were still visions of the future; when only inflexible, dichotomous categories of male and female existed."

Margot Wilson, an anthropologist, author, editor, and the owner of TransGender Publishing, has made significant contributions to the transgender community. Margot Wilson established TransGender Publishing, which is the first Canadian publishing house specifically focused on publishing transgender manuscripts. Located in Victoria, British Columbia, this independent publishing house is an imprint of Castle Carrington Publishing Group. They offer comprehensive support for authors and researchers, including services such as research design, interviewing, audio recording, editing, transcription, writing support, proofreading, copy editing, digital typesetting, cover design, and image editing for publication. Margot’s background as an anthropologist and her commitment to inclusivity have shaped the ethos of TransGender Publishing.

Since 2014, Margot has engaged in life history research and storytelling in collaboration with elders from the Canadian, American, Australian, and British transgender communities. One of the notable elders she worked with was Stephanie Castle, who unfortunately passed away in the spring of 2017. Margot published the first in a series of transgender elders’ life histories titled “Girl in the Dream”. This book chronicles the life story of Stephanie Castle, a Canadian transgender woman and an early advocate for transgender rights, especially for those incarcerated in the Canadian prison system. She also edited and released a second edition of “Feelings: A Transsexual’s Explanation of a Baffling Condition”, originally authored by Stephanie Castle in 1992. TransGender Publishing has continued to publish other life stories, including the anthology “Glimmerings: Trans Elders Tell Their Stories”, co-edited by Margot Wilson and Aaron Devor. Margot Wilson’s dedication to amplifying transgender voices and preserving their narratives has left a lasting impact on the community.

Available via Amazon

Photo via transgenderpublishing.ca