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.
Full title: "Sistaaz of the Castle" by Jan Hoek, Duran Lantink, and SistaazHood.
"Jan Hoek, fashion designer Duran Lantink and trans sex worker organisation SistaazHood present ‘Sistaaz of the Castle’, an ongoing project about the colorful looks and lives of transgender sex workers that roam the streets of Cape Town, South Africa.
Most of the girls are homeless, living under a bridge near Cape Town’s castle. The Sistaaz are eager activists, proud to be trans, proud to be a sex worker, and even prouder of their stunning sense of style. And they want it to be acknowledged.
A series of photographs and a fashion collection based on the girls’ appearance and their ability to turn whatever they find into the most exuberant outfits was created. This has already resulted in a fashion show at Amsterdam Fashion Week (a show in Cape Town in still on the wish list) and a photo exhibition in Foam Amsterdam."
2019,
Duran Lantink,
English,
Jan Hoek,
SistaazHood,
South Africa,
Full title: "Trans: Transgender Life Stories from South Africa" by Ruth Morgan, Charl Marais & Joy Rosemary Wellbeloved.
"TRANS: Transgender life stories from South Africa takes the reader on a journey into the many worlds inhabited by transgender South Africans. The life stories recounted in this collection are both inspiring and compelling and reveal the courage and strength of each of the storytellers involved.
The narratives detail the constant challenges of living in a country, that, despite its progressive Constitution, is still host to myriad prejudices and misunderstandings when it comes to trans people. With more than twenty original voices from the trans community in South Africa, the book is a journal of shared experiences for trans people and a fascinating point of departure for interested members of the general public. The contributors who 'transitioned, are transitioning or will transition', have all been actively involved in the process of making the book and have a great deal to say about their personal experiences of being transgender today."
2010,
Charl Marais,
English,
Joy Rosemary Wellbeloved,
Ruth Morgan,
South Africa,
"A Woman Denied... The Early Years is a biography of one beautiful woman named Raymond. Raymond was born in Pretoria. She spent a few years of her childhood in Soweto, Johannesburg. Her father, a stubborn traditionalist, had always wanted a boy. With two little girls in the house, he had reason to yearn for a little boy.
When Raymond came, all wishes and hopes, pride, and joy were shattered as the baby came with mixed gender. Neither could the baby be a boy or a girl... but subsequent domination from an abusive and drunkard father saw that the baby would lead a life as a boy.
Needless to say, it put paid to Raymond's mother, Evelyn's desire to raise a happy and healthy baby... as simply a baby she loved.
The account of the times and life of this wonderful and humble child is a tear-jerking story. Get in her shoes and walk through her trials and tribulations as she grows through life in the 70s and 80s. Experience the hurt and the abuses she had gone through; cry with her as all undeniable signs of womanhood surface...
2011,
English,
Rebone Makgato,
South Africa,
"I Am, Therefore, We Are is a non-fiction book about being trans and Xhosa in rural areas and townships on the Eastern Cape in post-apartheid South Africa. The book, written and photographed by Kris Lyseggen and her husband Herb Schreier introduces us to a new transfeminist movement in South Africa.
Lyseggen & Schreier interviewed, filmed, and photographed more than 20 transgender women from various townships, rural areas, and cities in 2014 and 2015.
It discusses the Ubuntu that is an important part of their Xhosa heritage, what it means and the significance of coming out as women in a highly patriarchal society in the midst of this deeply rooted homophobic and transphobic culture that they grew up in. "
2017,
English,
Herb Schreier,
Kris Lyseggen,
South Africa,
"What do you do when you realize that one of your most fundamental ideas about yourself is actually false? How do you resituate yourself in a world that has been turned upside down?
This book charts the early stage of the author’s journey of gender transition, as well as her process of settling down in South Africa as a fledgling academic.
The story is a deeply personal one, but also one that will resonate with other transgender people, migrants, academic hopefuls, and border-crossers of all kinds. As a story of coming to terms with an identity in flux, it illustrates the fundamental open-endedness of all human identities."
2018,
English,
Miriam Aurora Hammeren Pedersen,
Norway,
South Africa,
"Always Anastacia - A Transgender Life in South Africa" by Anastacia Tomson.
"I stand in front of the mirror as I remind myself that I don't have to wear the uniform anymore. I don't have to dress myself in men's attire. I can grow out my nails, and paint them with polish. I am finally free to have my ears pierced. I can speak in the voice that I've spent so many hours cultivating with my speech therapist. I don't have to hide my disgust anymore at being called "boet" or "sir". I no longer have to tolerate any references to my deadname."
Born into a Jewish family in Johannesburg and raised by her parents as a boy, Anastacia Tomson was never sure just how much of her persistent internal discomfort to blame on an often troubled family life. She qualified and practised as a doctor, but it would take a great deal more clear-sighted and difficult questioning to finally find peace and self-acceptance, as a woman. This memoir is a clarion call for a more nuanced understanding of trans people and the concepts of sex, gender and identity.
2016,
Anastacia Tomson,
English,
South Africa,
