Before Gender: Eli Erlick in conversation

Blackwell’s Bookshop and The University of Manchester Press present: Eli Erlick – Before Gender

Blackwell’s Bookshop, in partnership with the Centre for Sexuality Studies, will welcome Eli Erlick for an evening exploring her groundbreaking new book Before Gender: Lost Stories from Trans History 1850–1950. Erlick will be in conversation with Eden Foxon.

Doors: 6.30pm | Start time: 6.45pm
Tickets: £4 | Free admission with the purchase of the book

About the book

Before Gender uncovers the trailblazing lives of thirty trans people whose stories challenge and expand the narratives of transgender history. Spanning 1850 to 1950, these little-known accounts capture moments of romance, rebellion, mystery, and survival long before “gender” became an everyday term.

Organised into four sections – kids, activists, workers, and athletes – the book parallels many of today’s debates over gender identity. Readers will meet figures such as two of the first teenagers to receive gender-affirming medical care, a countess who sparked an LGBTQ+ riot decades before Stonewall, and the greatest female billiards player of the 1910s.

Bold and visionary, Erlick’s debut brings these remarkable lives out of the archives, revealing histories that reshape how trans lives are understood and remembered.

About the author

Eli Erlick is an internationally recognised activist, author, and educator. In 2011, she founded Trans Student Educational Resources (TSER), an organisation committed to transforming education for trans students. Her work spans research, organising, and cultural criticism, with features in outlets including The New York Times, Time Magazine, and The Washington Post. She lives in New York City, where she continues to champion trans liberation.

📍 October 8, 6:30 - 8pm