You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Authors Fox Fisher, Lewis Hancox and the Trans Publishing Network have partnered with Waterstones to launch Trans Pride Book Fest.
The inaugural event will launch at Waterstones’ flagship Piccadilly branch during Pride Month, with a ticketed event for the public on 27th June. Tickets can be bought here.
In its first year, Trans Pride Book Fest will host two panels: “Lived Experiences”, sponsored by Jessica Kingsley Publishers (JKP) and featuring Jamie Raines, Kenny Ethan Jones, Charlie Craggs, Laura Kate-Dale and Ben Pechey, and “Storytelling Through Illustration” with Theo Parish, Sophie Labelle, Fox Fisher, Ocean Grove and Lewis Hancox.
Lewis Hancox, author of Welcome to St Hell (Scholastic) and Fox Fisher, co-author of Trans Teen Survival Guide and Trans Survival Workbook (Jessica Kingsley Publishers) are trans authors and film-makers who originally met on Channel 4’s “My Transsexual Summer”.
The newly formed Trans Publishing Network was launched in July 2023 by author and senior marketing executive Harry Nicholas to amplify the voices of transgender and non-binary people in the UK publishing industry.
Nicholas, author of A Trans Man Walks into a Gay Bar (Jessica Kingsley Publishers), said: “I’ve been inspired by Fox and Lewis’ activism and creativity since I came out nearly a decade ago and their leadership was a huge source of inspiration when launching the Trans Publishing Network. We all felt there was a dearth of trans literature and a range of trans voices growing up and we want to change this for future generations. I’m so excited to be delivering the UK’s first trans book festival alongside them and to celebrate work from our community.”
Fisher added: “Co-founding the Trans Pride Book Fest feels equally important as co-founding Trans Pride Brighton and My Genderation over 10 years ago because unfortunately we’ve seen a real pushback on trans rights in recent years. Championing trans voices and celebrating trans stories is paramount, particularly in the midst of this moral panic.
“Thanks to publishers like JKP, there’s an increasingly large selection of books being produced to help educate and preserve our stories. My books were created to provide a safety net for trans lives. The fact that my books, amongst other authors, are banned in places where they are most needed (parts of USA, Russia etc), shows how important a trans specific book fest is. The message I want to share is simple – that trans people have always existed, and just like everyone else, trans people deserve to feel safe, supported and to have hope.”
Hancox said: “Growing up I had no access to any kind of trans community and there was practically no representation in the media — I felt so alone. That’s why I’m so proud to be part of the first ever Trans Pride BookFest, because I know how important it is to provide spaces and stories for others who feel different. While times have changed for the better, there’s still a lot of negativity around trans people in the media. We need events like this more than ever right now to stay hopeful. We’ve got such an array of different trans authors and stories, it’s going to be a real celebration of creativity, diversity and trans joy!”