Juliet Jacques

Juliet Jacques (b. 1981) is a writer and filmmaker based in London. She has published six books, including Trans: A Memoir (2015), Variations (2021) and The Woman in the Portrait (2024). Her fiction, journalism and essays have appeared in numerous publications, and her short films have screened across the world. She teaches at the Royal College of Art and co-hosts Novara FM.

In 1920's Berlin, the recovered diaries of transgender model Heike expose her as the mysterious muse and subject behind Christian Schad's best-known painting. After signing her Gender Recognition Certificate, a trans woman channels the offbeat glamour of a forgotten movie star at a Brighton gay bar. A well-known journalist finds herself under public scrutiny after taking a private BDSM game out onto the streets of Soho. Transfixed by the psychic power of monuments, an artist crowdfunds to build a tribute to victims of austerity, only to find himself the subject of a political backlash.

Taking us on a smart, funny, and deeply political ride through art, sex, and discovery, The Woman in the Portrait collects the short fiction of ground-breaking transgender writer Juliet Jacques. Showcasing both previously published and unpublished works, these stories offer an era-spanning tour through culture, politics, and community, presented with Jacques' trademark originality, insight, and humour.