BOOK LAUNCH RELEASE WEEK AUTHOR INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

Paralian: Notjusttransgender

By Liam Klenk

Liam Klenk will be in the UK as part of his book launch press tour and available for face-to-face, telephone and in-studio interviews on the following days: May 30th-June 3^rd, July 13th-15th and in Southampton for the LGBTQ Literary Meet-Up Weekend (3-4 September).

As he grew older Liam realised that he wasn't quite like others around him: "At three years old, I began catching odd glances because I was born in a girl's body yet began to introduce myself to people as a boy." By the age of 22, reading a book of short stories about transgender people, he realised, finally, what he needed to do.

Paralian(definition: ancient Greek meaning ‘one who lives by the sea') is a memoir narrated through the author's unusually powerful affinity to water. We follow Liam Klenk's tumultuous journey to find his authentic self and happiness against more than a lifetime's worth of adversities. At five months old Liam was adopted from an orphanage and ushered into a unique journey, which introduced him to the characters that would become both the currents that moved him and the rocks that supported him.Paraliantells the remarkable story of an honest, at times challenging life, and offers insight and wisdom from a fluid position - from experience.

Follow Liam from a small river in Germany to the biggest performance pool in the world, from Switzerland to the US, the Maldives to Macau.

About the Author

Born in Germany, Liam is a citizen of the world of German-French-Italian descent. He has travelled the globe enjoying wild and wonderful jobs (usually involving being in the water), experiencing different cultures and meeting many people - all part of his quest to feel truly at home. From Macau to the Maldives, Hong Kong to Canada, he now lives in Zurich, Switzerland, with his wife and their two cats, rescued from Liam's previous home in Malta. Their next move is likely to be London, where they spend a lot of their time already. His work has been as varied as his homes: photographer, cinema manager, English teacher, scuba diving instructor, hyperbaric chamber operator, show diver, theatre coach, production manager and now...author.

Liam was born a male trapped in a female body. He underwent a lot of surgery and is now very comfortable in his own skin, but, as he says, his life has been about the journey, not the destination. Liam lived 21 years with his parents before learning he was adopted. His world was shaken to its foundations and he had to redefine himself once again. His parents divorced early and had their own demons to battle. A year later, stood behind a shop counter, he read a book of short stories about transgender people and for the first time, fully understood he was transgender. His life has been full of many surprises and revelations so far, and he writes with a powerful, raw honesty that leaves you feeling inspired, and at times overwhelmed, by what one man has lived through in such a short period of time (and come out smiling!).

Quote from Paralian

It still took a few years to lose the rest of my physical femininity. My body lost its curves in stages. Body hair continued to sprout, my Adam's apple grew more pronounced and my muscles, stronger. As for the lingering psychological femininity, the successful surgeries had strengthened my resolve to embrace even further the person I had started out being. I would integrate my female side into the male adult I was becoming. I was Liam, and something inside my soul knew with absolute certainty he was who I had been all my life. More than ever, I was confident to not let my life be controlled by clichés and abstract societal constructs. I had just escaped one prison and saw no reason to voluntarily admit myself to the next one. I knew I was a man - not by anyone else's standards but by my own.

Quote from Liam Klenk

"For 25 years, I dreamed of writing a book about my life. Life itself however, and my quest to find a home, swept me along, not leaving me time to put my experiences onto paper. When I was stranded on the shores of Hong Kong in 2013, I finally took time to stop and breathe and realize that all my life experiences in the previous 40 years had led me to that moment. And now I'm finally mature enough to share my story with the world. This is my story and it's not just about being transgender!

When it comes to trans people, society, the media, people in general, often seem to be interested in the more extreme and exotic cases. Most trans people are not colourful butterflies but real individuals. Yes, many suffered a lot because they came into this world imprisoned in the wrong body and then had to jump through multiple hoops of bureaucracy (and often prejudice) to adjust their body as much as possible to be able to live as who they really are. But more than anything, they are people who should be given exactly the same chances and opportunities as everyone else. Only focusing on their "exotic" aspect ghettoises them, gives people the wrong idea about who they are, and makes it harder for them to be integrated as a functional part of society.

My most important message through this book, and living my life as I do, is to never, ever give up. There is always a way, always a solution. And some of the most desperate situations sometimes turn out to be the biggest blessings in your life. Everything is possible."

Discussion points

Transgender...

What does being transgender mean to you?

What are your views on the discrimination still facing transgender people today?

What was the hardest part of the transition process?

We live in a world where being judged by your appearance, identity, colour of your skin, gender continues, do you think this will ever change?
 

Adoption...

You discovered you were adopted in a bizarre situation involving your father asking you to marry his lover, what actually happened?

Did you ever consider that you might be adopted before you were told?
How do you come to terms with that discovery - particularly later in life (Liam was 21)?

Did you try to find your birth parents?

Living around the world...

Where have you lived?

What prompted you to move so often?
In which country did you stay the longest and why?
Where would you love to travel to that you've not yet visited?
Do you think you'll ever settle down in one country for the long term?

What is the appeal of living in London/south-east England for you?

What have you learned from living in so many different cultures?

Water...

What is it about the water that draws you to it?

How has water influenced your decisions of where to live, which jobs to take etc?

Tell us about when you worked in the world's biggest under water show (The House of Dancing Water)?

The Essential Details

Category:Memoir

ISBN:9781785891205

eISBN:9781785894992

Format:Paperback & eBook

Available on Amazon & in all good book shops

Price:£11.99 / £3.99

Release Date:28 May 2016

Publisher:Matador

Press folder:http://bit.ly/1ZgJJFw

More information online:

Twitter:https://twitter.com/liamklenk

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thefortunatenomad

Website & blog:

https://liamklenk.wordpress.com

Author profile:

http://www.literallypr.com/public_relations/file/liam_klenk-Paralian.php

Publisher page:

http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=3743

For more information, editorial opportunities, interview requests or review copies please get in touch with either Sam Batt or Helen Lewis:SamuelBatt@LiterallyPR.comorHelenLewis@LiterallyPR.com

+44 (0) 8709 619 069