Books distributed by the Chicago Distribution Center
ISBN (pbk): 9781803094229
Will publish October 2024
Acre Books is proud to partner with Seagull Books, an independent Indian publishing house established in 1982, specializing in world literature and English translations. Honoring our singular mission to promote diverse and absorbing works, we maintain a featured space for select titles from Seagull’s catalog. This season’s picks come from the Pride List, edited by Sandip Roy and Bishan Samaddar, which celebrates queer expression and showcases LGBTQ+ lives across languages, cultures, and genres.
Antiboy
A queer memoir that takes place at the messy intersection between gender and desire, challenging stereotypes and embracing the nuance of identity.
Valentijn Hoogenkamp
Translated by Michele Hutchison
When Valentijn must undergo a mastectomy because of a gene defect, he makes the decision not to have implants and adopts an in-between gender identity that feels more natural. He shaves his head and discards his wardrobe of women’s clothes, even the perfect dress his mother was so fond of. But all of this causes friction: not only are Valentijn’s doctors stumped, but friends, family, and lovers too. His trans ex helps him feel more comfortable in his new guise—not a girl, not a boy, but an antiboy—while his boyfriend draws away from the relationship. Encircled by grief and loss, Valentijn searches for the ultimate freedom to be allowed to be himself and tries to rebuild the relationships with those around him.
A refined, poetic autobiographical essay about adopting a new and truer identity, Antiboy is poignant without ever being sentimental. Valentijn finds new emotional depth and complexity in his personal relationships, providing readers with a rich and empathetic reading experience. Antiboy goes beyond the author’s own journey, becoming a nuanced exploration of human connections amid transformation.
Tell others about Antiboy.