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: "Trans. Wyznania anarchistki, która zdradziła punk rocka" (Trans. Confessions of an anarchist who betrayed punk rock) is the Polish language edition of "Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout" by Laura Jane Grace.
"Although Laura Jane Grace's birth certificate stated Thomas James, she felt from childhood that the name did not fit her. Being the son of a soldier, an anarchist, and the leader of the popular punk band Against me! was not enough. She wanted to be her. A daughter, a female anarchist, a female leader. In the world of punk rock, where time is marked by concerts, bottles of whiskey and drugs, anger, uncertainty and confusion become even more poignant. Grace, not allowing the true "I" to speak, throws herself into addictions, destroys the family, tries to suppress the desire for transition, and establishing her own identity becomes a serious source of tension in her everyday life."
2021,
Laura Jane Grace,
Polish,
Original title: "Galernicy seksu" (Sex Prisoners) by Kazimierz Imieliński and Stanisław Dulko.
'The book shows the meanders of love and sex of transsexuals. It is based on facts and authentic experiences of people who experience the mysterious and fascinating phenomenon of Transsexualism.
Concealing or not noticing their existence will not change reality. It will still be the same, but it will be difficult to understand and the possibilities of alleviating the suffering and dramatic experiences of these extraordinary people will be reduced.'
1991,
2000,
Kazimierz Imieliński,
Polish,
Stanisław Dulko,
Full title: "Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels" by Justin Vivian Bond.
"Hailed as "the greatest cabaret artist of [V's] generation" in the New Yorker, Mx. Justin Vivian Bond makes a brilliant literary debut with this candid and hilarious coming-of-age tale.
Bond recalls in vivid detail how it looked and felt to first discover Mom's lipstick (Iced Watermelon by Revlon), and how dreary it could be for a trans/queer kid to join the Cub Scouts. Always haunted by the knowledge of being "different," Bond began to create intimate friendships with girls, and to feel increasingly at risk with boys.
But when the bully next door wanted to meet secretly, Bond couldn't resist. Their trysts went on for years, making Bond acutely aware of how sexual power and vulnerability can be experienced at the same time. With inimitable style, Bond raises issues about LBGTQ adolescence, parenting trans/queer children, and bullying, while being utterly entertaining."
2013,
Justin Vivian Bond,
Polish,
Original title: "Apokalipsa płci" (Gender Apocalypse) by Kazimierz Imieliński and Stanisław Dulko.
The main parts of the book are authentic stories of transsexual people - born in Poland and growing up in the wrong bodies. Memoirs are divided thematically, accompanied by diaries and poems.
The whole book is embellished with comments from sexologists. This is one of the first publications on transsexualism in Poland.
1989,
Kazimierz Imieliński,
Polish,
Stanisław Dulko,
Original title: "Mam na imię Ania" (My name is Ania)
This book is like discovering the world we don't know. And although transgenderism has been present on Earth for as long as human history has been there, and is as natural as the diversity of all nature and each species, it remains unknown to the vast majority of us.
Reading the story of Anna Grodzka - the first Polish MP who does not hide her transgender past - you will face questions that are not usually asked. What does it mean to you to be a woman or a man? What does it mean to "be yourself"? Why do you need "your own self".
What is freedom? Is it worth giving a piece of yourself to other people?
As long as you breathe, you don't think about how much you need air. As long as you are yourself among other people, you do not know that it is not so obvious...
A fascinating autobiographical story.
2013,
Anna Grodzka,
Polish,
"Dziewczyna z portretu" is the Polish language edition of The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff.
Having gender reassignment surgery in the 1930s was an unusual and sensational affair, and the man who took the step to do so was the Danish painter Einar Mogens Andreas Wegener, who after the operation took the name of Lili Elbe.
The operation took place at the Institute for Sexology in Berlin, where the male organs were removed. The surgery was performed by Felix Abraham at the recommendation of Magnus Hirschfeld.
Einar Wegener was married to the beautiful, celebrated artist Gerda Wegener. They lived in a highly unusual marriage. Their life fate is told in this book, which is a fiction novel based on authentic events and diary entries from Einar Wegener.
2012,
David Ebershoff,
Lili Elbe,
Polish,
Original title: "Brudny róż. Zapiski z życia, którego nie było" (Dirty pink. Notes from a life that never was)
Kinga has always been different from the rest of the boys. She masked the pain with artificial haughtiness. Covering with powder - insidious stubble. She wandered alone in search of acceptance, which even gender reassignment surgery did not give her.
After years of rejection and contempt, she could write an encyclopedia of human meanness. Shocking confession of a transgender person. A story about gender boundaries, human endurance, and fear. Seeking confirmation in denial. Finding meaning in faith in Christ. Kinga Kosińska with each subsequent confession tugs at the conscience and makes you think about your own relationship to the "other".
2015,
Kinga Kosińska,
Polish,
Original title: "Dzikie gęsi" (Wild Geese)
'Wild Geese' are transgender people who cannot find their biological sex. The author, presented in the book as the main character – Paula, describes the story of her life.
With extraordinary realism, it shows the problems faced by a person trying to find their identity. These are not only financial or legal problems but above all emotional ones. Related to the difficulty of finding acceptance in the family and society and treating such people instrumentally.
All these problems accumulate and turn life into a daily struggle. Her mother still calls her "Wojtek", her ex-wife avoids meetings, and the children have completely cut themselves off from her. They are ashamed. Marianne understands their reactions, regrets, and fears. Only no one understands it.
2015,
Marianna Klapczyńska,
Polish,
"Pamiętnik opata de Choisy przebranego za kobietę" is the Polish language edition of "Mémoires de l'abbé de Choisy habillé en femme" by Francois Timoleon de Choisy.
The first edition of the memoirs was published in ... 1736. Yes, it is not a joke. Since then, the memoirs have been published many times in many languages. Let me quote the introduction from Goodreads: "By a whim of his mother, Francois Timoleon de Choisy - better known as the Abbé de Choisy - was dressed as a girl until the age of 18.
After a short spell in male attire he became, by all accounts, the classic transvestite - a male heterosexual who never attempted to disguise his biological sex while going about in public in full female attire. Choisy's fascination with feminine accouterments made him something of an expert on women's fashions, and prominent society women even brought their daughters to him for advice.
1992,
François-Timoléon De Choisy,
Polish,
Original title: "Zrozumienie" (Understanding) by Emilia Japońska.
The book provides a very strong dose of knowledge needed to open the hearts of opponents of Trans and Queer people.
It also helps you understand yourself and understand others. A quick trip through the world of transgender people and controversial analysis of the issue of transgenderism.
The book is an original look at the world of people who were not born in their bodies, or who do not want to be locked in the mental cages of stereotypes.
This is a book that should be read by parents of transgender people, their life partners, or simply friends.
2016,
Emilia Japońska,
Polish,
Original title: "Opowieści różnej treści: Osiemnaście miesięcy z życia Lukrecji" (Stories of different content. Eighteen months from the life of Lucrezia) by Lukrecja Kowalska.
The publication is another book by Lukrecja Kowalska, a Polish transgender rights activist, and the founder and chairwoman of the Acceptance Foundation, which provides support to the local transgender community.
It is a richly illustrated collection of short stories, which is a continuation of the fate of the heroine of the autobiography "Lucrezia in the body of Krzysiek", showing her in various situations of everyday life.
2016,
Lukrecja Kowalska,
Polish,
Original title: "Lukrecja w ciele Krzyśka" (Lucretia in Krzysiek's body) by Lukrecja Kowalska.
How to discover and understand yourself? Many of us ask ourselves who I am. In the case of a trans person, this question takes on a special meaning. It is about how difficult, but at the same time full of extraordinary experiences, this process is, that I try to tell by presenting my path to being yourself.
Lukrecja Kowalska is a Polish trans woman in the process of gender reassignment. She is the former Miss Trans of Poland 2012. She was interviewed about her transition in the press and on Internet portals, including "Dzień Dobry TVN", a Polish television program and an article on Onet.pl, where it was mentioned that she lived as a man for 42 years before transitioning. In addition, she is one of the heroines of the Polish documentary series "In a foreign body". She can also boast a literary debut in a book edited by Anna Kłonkowska.
2016,
Lukrecja Kowalska,
Polish,
