Trans Starters
By Christine Burns MBE
Trans Starters
By Christine Burns MBE
Start with these current books that I most often recommend people to read
Trans Britain: Our Journey from the Shadows
£10.99 £10.44
Trans Britain charts the modern history of trans people in Britain over the last 60 years, told through the accounts of people who were there as eyewitnesses. An ideal primer for understanding how the trans community struggled for visibility and fundamental rights.
Trans Like Me: 'An essential voice at the razor edge of gender politics' Laurie Penny
C. N. Lester
£10.99 £10.44Trans Like Me is a brilliantly thought-provoking series of essays by academic and activist CN Lester. Each witty essay takes a series of common tropes about trans people and dismantles them.
The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice
Shon Faye
£20.00 £19.00One of the most important books by a trans author in recent times, 'The Transgender Issue' demands a reset in the public conversation about trans people. You've heard all the bogus clickbait talk of toilets, sports and the like - issues that boil down to non-trans fears about our existence. Faye insists that you stop freaking like a neurotic baby for a moment to reflect on the issues that matter to trans people and never get discussed. You'll be glad of taking that time out.
Transgender History (Second Edition): The Roots of Today's Revolution
Susan Stryker
£16.99 £16.14Susan Stryker is Associate Professor of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Arizona and has researched and written about trans lives in the United States for at least thirty years. The second revised edition of this book is a comprehensive history of how trans people emerged and grew in the United States and invites comparative study with British books like Trans Britain
Trans Activism in Canada: A Reader
£82.80
A very detailed history of the lives and activism of trans people in Canada. Edited by Dan Irving and Rupert Raj.
Gender Euphoria: Stories of joy from trans, non-binary and intersex writers
£10.99 £10.44
A book that upends the present day narrative about trans people being unhappy and showcases, instead, the sheer joy experienced by people who are, at last, able to be themselves.
To My Trans Sisters
£15.99
Described by Jennifer Finney Boylan as "a love letter to our community from the women who understand, better than anyone", this debut book by Charlie Craggs is a brilliantly curated collection of short letters of encouragement and advice from long transitioned trans women to the newcomers following in their steps. Not only are these powerful letters of great value to trans people but they also provide a window into trans experience for potential allies too -- think of it like being able to eavesdrop on our conversations.
Yes, You Are Trans Enough: My Transition from Self-Loathing to Self-Love
Mia Violet
£16.99This is the deeply personal and witty account of growing up as the kid who never fitted in. Trans blogger Mia Violet reflects on her life and how at 26 she came to finally realise she was 'trans enough' to transition. An excellent book for understanding what young trans people go through in reality.
Trans Love: An Anthology of Transgender and Non-Binary Voices
£16.99
If you think you could never love a trans person or they have no right to love you then this book will shake you. Trans Love is an anthology of trans and non-binary voices curated by writer Freiya Benson. Spanning familial, romantic, spiritual and self-love as well as friendships and ally love, this uplifting collection provides and broad and honest understanding of how trans people navigate love and relationships and what love means to them.
Trans Power: Own Your Gender
Juno Roche
£14.99In the beginning trans people described themselves in the terms coined by outside observers. The result was so often a fixed narrative about the quest to assimilate. In Juno’s writing it feels as though trans has pupated and emerged, vibrant, beautiful in all our stunning diversity. In this radical and emotionally raw book, Juno Roche pushes the boundaries of trans representation by redefining 'trans' as an identity with its own power and strength, that goes beyond the gender binary
Queer Sex: A Trans and Non-Binary Guide to Intimacy, Pleasure and Relationships
Juno Roche
£15.99Less of a traditional guide book and more of a personal narrative and exploration of the binary rules society imposes and the ways we can move past them
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Brynn Tannehill
£16.99Although based on US praxis, this gem of a book offers unvarnished, informed, and extremely accessible answers to just about every aspect of transgender life, law, and politics.
Others of My Kind: Transatlantic Transgender Histories
Michael Thomas Taylor, Annette F. Timm, et al.
£77.00Others of My Kind draws on archives in Europe and North America to tell the story of this remarkable transatlantic transgender community. This book uncovers threads of connection between Germany, the United States, and the Netherlands to discover the people who influenced the work of authorities like Magnus Hirschfeld, Harry Benjamin, and Alfred Kinsey not only with their clinical presentations, but also with their personal relationships. It explores the ethical and analytical challenges that come with the study of what was once private, secret, or unacceptable to say.
Gender Pioneers: A Celebration of Transgender, Non-Binary and Intersex Icons
Philippa Punchard
£17.99