Sophie Labelle is in town today and will be in conversation with us in the bookshop! She was due to visit us in 2020 but her tour was cancelled because of COVID.

Sophie is the French-Canadian author of Serious Trans Vibes / Assigned Male Comics, which she has been drawing since 2014. She is also the author of several children’s books and novels, as well as a public speaker. She gives talks and lectures to a large array of audiences, from kindergarden groups to university students.

Assigned Male is a webcomic and series of zines addressing issues of gender norms and privilege. It features the character of 11-year-old Stephie, a trans girl discovering and embracing her gender.
“…shows transgender humour can be funny without being offensive.” – Washington Blade

Sophie has written several books and zines about gender identity and expression, including The Genderific Coloring Book, A Girl Like Any Other, Ciel at Camp Fabulous, and Gender Euphoria. The English translation of the second volume of the Ciel series, Ciel in All Directions (2020, Second Story Press) was named as a 2022 Bank Street Children’s Book Committee’s Best Books of the Year.

In May 2017 Sophie released the comic book Dating Tips for Trans and Queer Weirdos. A scheduled launch at the Venus Envy bookshop in Halifax was cancelled after threats were made against both her and the shop. She received death threats, her home address was posted in online forums, and her web site and social media accounts were compromised (which she temporarily took offline). In the wake of the harassment, Sophie advocated for Canadian Bill C-16 to protect gender identity and expression, and for stronger laws against cyberbullying.

Tickets £3 (free to students/unwaged). Please register via Eventbrite.