lily

Lili Elbe was born Einar Mogens Wegener in the city of Vejle, Denmark, in 1882. Although Einar was a renowned Danish landscape painter, married to the painter and illustrator Gerda Wegener, he is also known for being the first person to undergo numerous sex change surgeries to become the woman she already intuited, Lili Ilse Elvenes. Lili Elbe discovered during the process that she had been born with ovaries, which after receiving numerous doses of radiation from Röntgen rays for a previous treatment were rendered useless. Her physical and mental transition forms the first testimony of a complete sex change, as well as being a faithful reflection of European society in the interwar period, and of intellectual and artistic life in Denmark, France and Germany. This book, published in 1933 after the death of Lili herself, recounts, based on her diaries and manuscripts, as well as with the contributions of letters and notes from the friends who appreciated her the most, her story and personal transition of Einar Wegener to Lili Elbe, in a realistic, raw and tremendously inspiring way. This publication, originally edited by Niels Hoyer, served as David Ebershoff's inspiration for his fictional novel The Danish Girl. «—If I did not return, it would be appropriate to end my book with these words of Hans Jager. With a trembling voice, Lilly read the passage: When I am no longer here, I want my sad love book to be my legacy, the testimony that I once lived. I imagine that this book will be read, as few are, by all those unhappy in love and I will be able to shake their hands, by way of greeting, every time this book falls into them, year after year. I can hardly express my longing; and it is, in fact, the only longing I have: to say goodbye to each and every one... No one will be able to know how great would be the peace that I would find with it. TITLE: “Lili. Portrait of a gender transition”. AUTHOR: Lili Elbe, Niels Hoyers ILLUSTRATION: Einar Wegener, Gerda Wegener, Lili Elbe NO. OF PAGES: 320 BINDING: Soft cover, special paper, with flaps. PUBLISHER: UVE BOOKS LANGUAGE: Spanish EDITION: May 2022 ISBN: 978-84-122180-2-2