A random collection of over 1910 books and audiobooks authored by or about my transgender, intersex sisters, and gender-nonconforming persons all over the world. I read some of them, and I was inspired by some of them. I met some of the authors and heroines, some of them are my best friends, and I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing some of them. If you know of any transgender biography that I have not covered yet, please let me know.
Original title: "Handboekje voor de transseksuele vrouw haar entourage en voor belangstellenden" (Handbook for the transsexual woman and her entourage and for interested parties) by Che Dansart.
"Not published as a paper book. Towards a deeper insightful understanding of the transition path from man to woman.
About the psychological experience of transsexuality with special attention to the intertwining of gender experience with the experience of sexuality and sexual orientation. From despair to inner strength, unity and happiness on our way and practical hints through the transition.
Transsexual Che Dansart, now female, was born male; she underwent gender reassignment surgery and during the process she gathered a wealth of knowledge and experience that she wrote down in the book HANDBOOK for the transsexual woman – her entourage and for stakeholders.
For 54 years, the Belgian transsexual Che Dansart walked around in a man's body. A man who had built a career, a fairly well-known filmmaker. Yet Che threw everything into becoming a woman. “As a man I was wise, respected, so to speak. I know others can't really understand it. But transsexuality is something that gnaws at you, like an irresistible drive that you will do anything for at some point.”
2010,
Belgium,
Che Dansart,
Dutch,
"Avant que j'oublie; suivi de Regarde maman, je danse!" (Before I forget; followed by Look at mom, I dance!) is the French language edition of "Kijk mama, ik dans: 's lands bekendste transseksueel vertelt" (Look mom, I dance: The country's best-known transsexual tells).
"Vanessa van Durme has made choices in her life. Hard choices, painful choices. Choices that caused her parents a lot of grief.
Now she is a celebrated actress who feels her sixtieth birthday approaching. She has fond memories of her work for public and commercial broadcasting, of the comedy see the wrote, and of the wonderful role she played in All India by Alain Platel and Arne Sierens.
Her autobiography regularly brings tears to the eyes of the reader. Sometimes out of sympathy, more often out of laughter."
According to Wikipedia, Vanessa Van Durme (born in 1948) is a Belgian actress and screenwriter. She studied at the Conservatory of Ghent in the drama section and made her stage debut – as a young actor – at Nederlands Toneel Gent (NTG).
2014,
Belgium,
French,
Georges Burou,
Vanessa Van Durme,
Original title: "Appelez-Moi Gina" (Call me Gina) by Georgine Noël.
He or she? He then She? Changing sex, being born a man and becoming a woman? Or finally be what we have always been? Here is the story of the most amazing adventures experienced. On April 25, 1975, Doctor Georges Noël woke up in his hospital bed knowing that this was the end of a long and painful journey. From now on there is only Georgine Noël, Gina for close friends. But what terrible ordeals she had to pass!
When nature, family, and society have decreed otherwise, what to do with the fundamental mismatch between one's deepest drives and the gender of one's birth which one knows is not one's? And especially when you come from a local family, steeped in local tradition deep in the Belgian countryside. What to do if not return to solitude, and marginalization but also the struggle, desperate and courageous, to restore the truth of one's being, to restore harmony between one's body and one's mind.
1994,
Belgium,
French,
Georgine Noël,
Original title: "Kijk mama, ik dans: 's lands bekendste transseksueel vertelt" (Look mom, I dance: The country's best-known transsexual tells).
"Vanessa van Durme has made choices in her life. Hard choices, painful choices. Choices that caused her parents a lot of grief.
Now she is a celebrated actress who feels her sixtieth birthday approaching. She has fond memories of her work for public and commercial broadcasting, of the comedy see the wrote, and of the wonderful role she played in All India by Alain Platel and Arne Sierens.
Her autobiography regularly brings tears to the eyes of the reader. Sometimes out of sympathy, more often out of laughter."
According to Wikipedia, Vanessa Van Durme (born in 1948) is a Belgian actress and screenwriter. She studied at the Conservatory of Ghent in the drama section and made her stage debut – as a young actor – at Nederlands Toneel Gent (NTG).
2006,
Belgium,
Dutch,
Georges Burou,
Vanessa Van Durme,
Original title: "De vrouw van mijn leven: Ulrich werd Ulrike" (The woman of my life: Ulrich became Ulrike)
The book was written by Nico Blontrock, a Belgian journalist, radio figure, and author from West Flanders. I was not able to find any review of this book.
Have you ever read this book? If yes, please let me know.
2008,
Belgium,
Dutch,
Nico Blontrock,
Original title: "Casablanca voorbij" (Beyond Casablanca)
Corinne Van Tongerloo was born in 1936 as Cornelis Van Tongerloo into a large family in the Antwerp Schipperskwartier. She feels early that something is not right. Ideally, she wants to be just like her sisters. But that is not without problems at that time. The word transgender does not yet exist and she has to look for a solution herself.
The life of this transgender pioneer reads like an adventure novel, full of unexpected twists and strong emotions. At the same time, it is a time document of a period in which there was no medical or psychological guidance for transgender people. But above all, it is an ode to the courage and resilience of a special woman, who, despite trial and opposition, manages to develop into a balanced and optimistic personality.
2017,
Belgium,
Corinne Van Tongerloo,
Dutch,
Linda Asselbergs,
Orginal title: "Bo: Eindelijk vrouw" (Bo: Finally woman) by Bo Van Spilbeeck.
From the outside, no one could guess. However, since childhood, Baudouin feels like a girl in a boy's skin. He thinks that "it will pass". He married, had two children, and became one of the most famous reporters in Belgium.
At 58, after years of questioning and struggling, he decided to become a woman, Bo. His coming out made headlines around the world.
In this testimony, Bo recounts her long years as a woman locked in a man's body, her transition, and the courage to face the fear of losing everything: her job, family, and friends. We discover the support of his colleagues and his editor, the role, and the unwavering love of his wife and children.
2019,
Belgium,
Bo Van Spilbeeck,
Dutch,
"Comment je suis devenue BO" (How I became BO) is the French language edition of "Bo: Eindelijk vrouw" (Bo: Finally woman) by Bo Van Spilbeeck.
"From the outside, no one could guess. However, since childhood, Baudouin feels like a girl in a boy's skin. He thinks that "it will pass". He married, had two children, and became one of the most famous reporters in Belgium.
At 58, after years of questioning and struggling, he decided to become a woman, Bo. His coming out made headlines around the world. In this testimony, Bo recounts her long years as a woman locked in a man's body, her transition, and the courage to face the fear of losing everything: her job, family, and friends. We discover the support of his colleagues and his editor, the role, and the unwavering love of his wife and children."
2019,
Belgium,
Bo Van Spilbeeck,
French,
Original title: "De weg naar mezelf: Danseres, transgender én vrouw" (The Path to Myself: Dancer, Transgender and Woman) by Nora Monsecour.
Nora was born Aaron. From her childhood, she always felt that she was not born in the right body. But to find her way to herself, she had to overcome many obstacles: both in society and in herself. This is her honest and moving story.
Nora Monsecour is a professional dancer and a transgender woman from Belgium. Her inspiring journey serves as the basis for the film Girl, directed by Lukas Dhont. The movie, although not a direct biography, resonates with Nora’s experiences. It portrays Lara, a trans girl with a passion for ballet, who faces challenges related to her hormone therapy and body image. “Girl” was Belgium’s submission for the Oscars’ Best Foreign Film award and received a Golden Globe nomination. While the film has been criticized for its portrayal of trans bodies, Nora emphasizes the importance of sharing diverse trans stories and identities in the world. As a dancer, Nora’s involvement in the film ensured the authenticity of the dance scenes, reflecting her own struggles and determination. Nora Monsecour’s journey to becoming a professional dancer is a testament to her resilience and passion. She discovered her love for dance at a young age. She was drawn to the art form’s expressive nature and the freedom it offered her.
2019,
Belgium,
Dutch,
Nora Monsecour,
Original title: "Over)leven: mijn strijd als transvrouw arts and politica" (Surviving to live: my struggle as a trans woman doctor and politician) by Petra De Sutter and Elke Lahousse.
In her deeply personal and candid memoir, (Over)leven: mijn strijd als transvrouw, arts en politica (Surviving to Live: My Struggle as a Trans Woman, Doctor and Politician) — Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter invites readers into the private chambers of her soul. Co-authored with journalist Elke Lahousse, the book is not only a narrative of transformation, but a philosophical reflection on resilience, identity, and the ethical frontiers of science and society.
For decades, De Sutter lived with a secret. A renowned fertility specialist and professor at Ghent University, she was celebrated in the medical community, yet her personal truth remained hidden, she was a woman living in a man’s body. It wasn’t until the age of forty that Petra chose to live authentically and begin her transition. This book is her testimony of survival, liberation, and growth.
She writes with remarkable vulnerability about the psychological toll of living in the wrong body, the childhood confusion, the adult anguish, and the inner dialogue that ultimately led to her decision: “I didn’t want to survive anymore — I wanted to live.”
The memoir takes us through the defining chapters of her life: her struggles with gender dysphoria, her professional accomplishments as a gynaecologist and specialist in reproductive medicine, and her groundbreaking political career. De Sutter became the first openly transgender Belgian candidate on a party election list in 2014, the first transgender minister in Europe in 2020, and an unshakable advocate for LGBTQ rights, gender equality, and reproductive freedom.
But (Over)leven is more than autobiography, it is a manifesto of compassion. De Sutter courageously revisits her past not to indulge in it, but to expose the truth that too many still feel compelled to hide. With every page, she reclaims space for people who feel like outsiders in their own skin.
The book also grapples with complex questions at the intersection of science and ethics. As one of Europe’s leading fertility experts, De Sutter raises timely concerns about the limits of human intervention: “Should there be boundaries to how far we go in creating life?” Her dual role as a scientist and policymaker allows her to reflect on the responsibility of politics in regulating the brave new world of biotechnology.
In politics, Petra De Sutter has been a transformative force. As Minister of Civil Service, she oversees a vast portfolio including public administration, telecommunications, and postal services. But perhaps her most lasting impact lies in her unyielding visibility and advocacy. She has served as rapporteur for the Council of Europe on pivotal topics such as surrogacy, genetic technology, and refugee rights, always with a focus on human dignity.
Her work in the European Parliament earned her the Justice & Gender Equality award at The Parliament Magazine’s MEP Awards in 2020, recognizing her tireless commitment to sexual and reproductive rights.
What makes Petra’s story especially moving is her consistent humility. In my 2014 interview with her on Heroines of My Life, she said, “Being visible is not always easy, but I feel it is necessary. If I, with all my privileges, do not speak up — who will?” That sense of responsibility radiates through every page of her memoir.
Petra De Sutter stands tall as a woman, a partner, a parent, a scientist, and a public servant. (Over)leven is a triumphant ode to becoming, a reminder that surviving is only the first step. Living, in its fullest, most unashamed form, is the real revolution.
Other publications about Petra de Sutter:
2016,
Belgium,
Dutch,
Interview,
Petra de Sutter,
