This project was born when I realised that even though I had been trying to consume books written by people of marginalized groups, the vast majority of them came from the UK or US. So, I decided to go on a quest to read books written by people from all over the world.
I don’t support the division of the planet by artificial borders, but I could not find a better way to track which part of the world each author came from than to track their countries.
My criteria are the following:
- Trans* writers. Preferably afab or transmasc as I have read significantly less from them than from amab or transfemme writers.
- If I can’t find trans* writers, I look for queer writers, preferably women.
- If I can’t find neither trans nor queer writers, I look for feminist writers.
Other than these criteria, I am happy to read anything: fiction, non-fiction, self-biography, academic articles, etc.
There are unavoidable limitations. I only speak a couple of languages and I mostly read in English. So, I only have access to books that have been translated from their original language.
I look for authors that come from countries with more than one million inhabitants. Occasionally, I find authors from smaller countries, which is great, but I don’t think it’s realistic to find authors from most “small” countries.
Many countries are unsafe for queer people so they often migrate to safer places. Thus, the topic of migration, national identity, and belonging often appeared alongside queer themes.
I decided to make this list public because I have spent a lot of time searching for these books and I think the list may be useful for others. I am always updating it as I find new books.
I do my best to buy the books second-hand, or directly from the author (if possible). If you are interested in reading one of the books, you can borrow them from me 🙂
If you have any suggestions on books that might fit on this list, please let me know! I am greatful for any tips.
Zephyr Spring 