Intersex. The “I” in LGBTQIA+. How I was born. Intersex is an umbrella term that describes a number of biological variations that place people not neatly in the male or female binary. These variations might be phenotypic, meaning outwardly presenting on the body. They can also be genotypic, meaning that they affect the chromosomes of the individual.
According to Brown University, roughly 1.7% of the population is intersex, or roughly the same number of people in the world as those with red hair. To put it in more relatable terms, for every 59 people you know, one of them is statistically intersex.
As for books? Those numbers are even lower, though there are some really great ones out there. Whether nonfiction about being intersex, fiction starring intersex characters, or books that have nothing to do with intersex, intersex authors are making some great books. And if you’re participating in the 2026 Read Harder Challenge, the books you’ll find below all satisfy task #19: Read a book by an intersex author.
Get 15% off annual All Access memberships for a limited time in celebration of Book Riot’s 15th anniversary! Savings amount to more than 3 months of free unlimited access to our entire content archive, plus features like Collections and the New Release Index. Claim your savings and start leveling up your reading life.
7 of the Best Books by Intersex Authors
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
Rivers Solomon is an intersex, Black author who writes highly imaginative and delightfully diverse fiction. This is my favorite of theirs. Vern, alone in the forest, gives birth to twins: Howling and Feral. Together, they’re on the run from the cult-like compound that she escaped. As she runs, her body is changing to something supernatural. Part fantasy, part science fiction, and many parts treatise on racism, this book looks hard at monsters: people, places, and even nations.
Power to Yield and Other Stories by Bogi Takács
Bogi Takács is an award-winning speculative fiction writer, professor, and intersex person. This collection explores gender, sexuality, neurodiversity, and even religion, with Takács’ signature blend of weird fiction in their speculative themes.
All Access Members: read on for the full list of titles.
Nobody Needs to Know by Pidgeon Pagonis
Unsurprisingly, a lot of books by intersex authors are memoirs. Pidgeon Pagonis is one of too many intersex people who grew up with shame around their bodies, only fully learning the truth of themselves as they came of age. Pidgeon would go on to found the Intersex Justice Project, among other successes, and this is their story.
Born Both by Hida Viloria
Hida Viloria is one of the few intersex people who managed to avoid unnecessary surgeries as a child. H/er journey is one of feeling out of place, coming to accept h/er body, and finding joy in h/er identity as an intersex person, even reclaiming the word “hermaphrodite.”
The Race to Be Myself by Caster Semenya
Caster Semenya is a two-time Olympic medalist from South Africa. She is also one of the most famous cases of battling sex testing in sports. As an intersex woman, she’s struggled just to compete even though she was born a woman and always has been a woman. As sex testing is coming back to the Olympics, this is a must-read to understand the unfairness of these tests.
XOXY: A Memoir by Kimberly Zeiselman
Kimberly Zeiselman has been a leader in intersex activism for nearly 20 years, but her journey to that place was fraught. She didn’t know she was intersex until later in life, even having her internal testes removed under the guise of a hysterectomy when she was a teenager. This isn’t just about growing up intersex, but about becoming a leading advocate by choosing that path.
Inverse Cowgirl by Alicia Roth Weigel
Alicia Roth Weigel was born with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. Like many women with CAIS, she was subjected to unnecessary surgeries and had to deal with the aftermath of those surgeries ever since. She chose the path of advocacy, speaking at the Texas statehouse on multiple occasions, starring in the film Every Body, and fighting against injustices of many colors.
Need more intersex books to read? We’ve got you covered. Wondering why Middlesex isn’t on this list? Well, the author isn’t intersex, and I have some thoughts about that.
Get access to our entire content archive plus exclusive features with an All Access subscription on Book Riot. Celebrate Book Riot’s 15th anniversary with 15% off annual memberships for a limited time! Save and share your favorite Book Riot picks with Collections Get the scoop on upcoming books with our curated new book discovery tool, the New Release Index Join the conversation with community features like comments and polls.Join All Access to unlock our content archive
Already a member? Log in
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
English (US) · 
French (CA) · 
French (FR) ·