Trans Mission: My Quest to a Beard

Blending autobiography and guidebook in his debut, trans man and popular YouTuber Bertie shares pivotal moments from his life and transition to illuminate a variety of topics relevant to female-to-male transition, including coming out, name selection, chest binding, hormone treatments, gender confirmation surgeries, dating and intimacy, and disclosing gender identity in the workplace. Bertie openly confronts the difficulties of pursuing transition on a personal and societal level—including his own history with depression, dysphoria, and self-harming behavior—while taking care to stress the joy he found in his own transition. He also acknowledges the limits of his perspective, sticking to trans topics with which he has personal experience and recognizing his own privilege as a “white, educated male with family support, a roof over my head, and a job” and as a resident of the United Kingdom, where transition is covered by health care rather than the patient. Aimed at teens beginning their transition or for those questioning how they identify, as well as at the people who love them, Bertie serves as a relatable narrator who encourages his readers to do what they “need to do to be happy” without ignoring the barriers they may face. Agent: Silvia Molteni, Peters Fraser and Dunlop. Ages 12–up. [em](May) [/em]