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Spotlight on Trans & Non-Binary Stories
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June is the perfect time to centre trans and non-binary voices — not just in celebration, but in the spirit of genuine discovery. This list spans memoirs and manifestos, literary fiction and coming-of-age stories, from the streets of 1980s Madrid to the prairies of rural America, united by one thing: the transformative power of living authentically.
Whether you’re deepening your understanding or simply looking for your next great read, there’s something here for everyone. Happy Pride Month!
Stag Dance – Torrey Peters
Deep in the forest, a group of restless lumberjacks working an illegal logging outfit plan a winter dance that some will volunteer to attend as women; the broadest, strongest axeman finds himself caught in a rivalry with a pretty, young jack that culminates in jealousy, betrayal and an astonishing spectacle of transition. Meanwhile, in other times and places, the gender apocalypse is brought about by an unstable ex-girlfriend; an illicit boarding-school romance surfaces intrigue and cruelty; and a Las Vegas party weekend turns dark when a young crossdresser must choose between a thrilling mystery man or a veteran trans woman offering unglamorous sisterhood.
In this quartet of tales, Torrey Peters' keen eye for the rough edges of desire reveals fresh possibilities. Acidly funny, boldly inventive and breathtaking in scope, Stag Dance provokes and unsettles, inspires and delights.
Beyond the Gender Binary (Pocket Change Collective) — Alok Vaid-Menon
Alok Vaid-Menon challenges the world to see gender not in black and white, but in full colour. Taking from their own experiences as a gender-nonconforming artist, they show us that gender is a malleable and creative form of expression. The only limit is your imagination.
Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir – Kai Cheng Thom
A young Asian trans girl runs away from her abusive home and finds her chosen family among a group of larger-than-life trans femmes in a mysterious pleasure district. Under their wings, she blossoms into the woman she's always dreamed of being. When one of their number is brutally murdered, she joins her sisters in forming a vigilante gang to fight back. Part coming-of-age, part kung-fu revenge fantasy — wildly inventive and fiercely alive.
The Passing Playbook — Isaac Fitzsimons
After transitioning at his old school leads to a year of bullying, fifteen-year-old Spencer gets a fresh start at Ohio's most liberal private school — where no one knows he's trans. He finds new friends, a shot at the soccer team, and maybe something more with a teammate. But when a discriminatory law forces his coach to bench him, Spencer must choose between staying hidden or publicly fighting for his right to play. A warm, timely YA debut about identity, sport, and the courage to be seen.
Horse Barbie: A Memoir – Geena Rocero
As a young femme in 1990s Manila, Geena Rocero found her place in trans pageants — becoming the Philippines' highest-earning trans pageant queen by seventeen. Moving to the US, she went stealth to survive, gaining legal recognition at the expense of her authentic self. As her modelling career soared, her sense of self eroded, until she was forced to ask whether reclaiming her full identity was worth the risk. A radiant memoir about survival, joy, and the cost of hiding.
A Safe Girl to Love – Casey Plett
Eleven unique short stories featuring young trans women stumbling through loss, sex, harassment, and love in settings ranging from a rural Mennonite town to a hipster gay bar in Brooklyn. These stories, shiny with whiskey and prairie sunsets, rattling subways and neglected cats, show that growing up as a trans girl can be charming, funny, frustrating, or sad, but will never be predictable. A Safe Girl to Love, winner of the Lambda Literary Award for transgender fiction, was first published in 2014. Back in print after a long absence, the newest edition includes an afterword by the author.
Pageboy: A Memoir – Elliot Page
Before the world premiere of Juno Elliot Page was on the edge of self-discovery. But with Juno's massive success and his dreams coming true, Elliot found himself trapped by the spotlight and the pressure to perform was suffocating him. Until enough was enough. From chasing down secret love affairs to battling body image and working through his difficult childhood, Pageboy is a beautiful, intimate book about searching for ourselves and our place in the world.
Woodworking — Emily St. James
Erica is thirty-five, recently divorced, and trans — though she hasn't told anyone yet in her small South Dakota town. That changes when Abigail, her school's only openly trans student, reluctantly becomes her guide through transition. As their unlikely friendship deepens, it draws the scrutiny of their community. A warm, nuanced debut about the cost of hiding and the courage it takes to be seen.
Bad Habit — Alana S. Portero
An unnamed young trans woman grows up in a working-class Madrid suburb that has no place for her, finding community downtown amid a dazzling party scene of junkies, pop divas, and fallen angels. With each step forward, she faces an antagonism she doesn't yet know how to counter. Every decision carries the highest stakes — but she knows only she can forge the path to the life she wants. Beautifully written and deeply moving, translated by Mara Faye Lethem.
Bellies — Nicola Dinan
Tom and Ming meet at a university drag night and fall instantly into each other's orbit. Shortly after graduation, Ming announces her intention to transition — and their relationship must find a new shape. From London to Kuala Lumpur to New York, the two navigate unforeseen crises and the vastly different lives they've built. A tender, searching novel about love, identity, and how much of yourself you can lose to become who you are.
Wild Geese — Soula Emmanuel
Almost three years into her transition, Phoebe has built a quiet life in Copenhagen with her anxious dog. That is, until an unexpected visit from Grace, her first love, brings memories of Dublin and a life she thought she'd left behind. Over a single weekend, old romance kindles something sweet and unfamiliar. A tender novella about migration, nostalgia, and the selves we carry with us.
Paul Takes the Form of A Mortal Girl — Andrea Lawlor
It's 1993, and Paul Polydoris tends bar at the only gay club in a university town — studying queer theory, making zines, and shapeshifting at will. He moves fluidly between identities and communities, from Riot Grrrl to leather bars, Iowa City to Provincetown. A riotous, razor-sharp bildungsroman set against the heyday of ACT UP and Queer Nation. One of the most inventive queer novels of the past decade.
We hope you’ve found something that piques your interest! Until next time.
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