Emma Batchelor has been named the winner of this year’s The Australian/Vogel Literary Award for Now That I See You, a work that explores gender identity and expression, sexuality, and love.
In those first moments, that admission felt precious to me: it was something that I alone had been deemed worthy enough to carry and I was grateful. I was grateful to finally know, but I still couldn’t speak.
Something was wrong, she knew it, but she was entirely unprepared for what he would tell her.
Viewed through the lens of a relationship breakdown after one partner discloses to the other that they are transgender, this autofiction spans eighteen months: from the moments of first discovery, through the eventual disintegration of their partnership, to the new beginnings of independence.
In diaries and letters, Now That I See You unfolds a love story that, while often messy and uncomfortable, is a poignant and personal exploration of identity, gender, love and grief.
As the winner, Batchelor will receive $20,000 and her memoir has been published by Allen & Unwin. Now That I See You is available in stores and online now.
