Rebecca A Withey: Interview with Samantha Pearsall, author of ‘The Woman I Am’

Samantha Pearsall has recently enjoyed great success with her first ever book release. Titled ‘The Woman I Am.’

Samantha’s book documents her transition ‘from Richard to Samantha’ as she writes in detail about her experiences so far as a deaf transgender woman.

In this interview, Samantha explains more about the publication of The Woman I Am and discusses her journey in the hope that she can educate others and also bring reassurance to other deaf people who are trans or hoping to transition.

Hi Samantha! Congratulations on your book release – can you tell our readers why you chose to write this book ‘The Woman I Am’ and why the release is important to you?

Thank you. The reason I wrote the book is because I know there are lots of deaf transgender people worldwide, the numbers are growing globally. I know it is impossible for me to help every single person, but I thought it was important me to write the book as well as have a BSL version, explaining my transition.

If I can help just a few people, then it is worth it. Education is important, if I can change one person’s mindset to a more positive perspective on deaf trans people, then again, it is worth it.

There are no platforms either in the UK or worldwide that help deaf people through transition, there are hearing services, but deaf people obviously struggle to access services.

I want them to know they are not alone. Sharing my experiences may resonate with others and they may have gone through similar situations themselves.

What actually inspired you to put pen to paper and write your journey for others to read? Was it easy to start writing?

I wanted the reader to understand the difference for deaf people transitioning (compared to hearing people) and to explain that it is harder. I want to make a deaf person’s transition process much easier by learning about what I did and how I did it.

It is not about a sudden change from one gender to another, it is also emotional, mental as well as physical.

The easiest part was to write, it was my counselling, I recorded everything. The hardest part was to hand the book over to my editor, he spotted about 15 throwaway lines in the book.

I had stopped writing at those points as it was too upsetting to write about. When challenged on these, it forced me to confront those parts, it was very raw, but I was able to expand each story to give the whole picture.

I didn’t want to sugar coat and write a book at a surface or superficial level, I wanted to give a realistic account of what I went through, both good and bad, and I think that’s what makes it unique, as I am completely honest.

Who supported you through this process of writing and publishing? How was the process of getting the book to print?

I typed my manuscript onto Microsoft word, my parents helped me with translating some parts and then I used a BSL interpreter. There is still some BSL in the book which is natural as it’s my first language. I wanted to preserve that.

I joined the Upworks website, this is where to find assistance with editing, ghost writing, formatting and all things relating to writing a book. I found my editor through this site. I worked with Melin who owns Me Design studio, and she created my book cover. This was so much better than the original book cover which I designed myself.

I learned a lot about the publication process from beginning to end. Luckily Denis, my editor, was extremely supportive. He helped me to understand how the whole process works. It was more difficult than I thought it would be, I didn’t expect it to be as stressful as it was, however it has now been released which I am very happy about, and now I can relax!

What sort of feedback have you had so far from those who have read the book?

I had doubts, I wondered whether I would receive lots of abuse and negative feedback, or whether I would receive praise and compliments. I am thick skinned, so I was prepared to take the risk, as I wanted to make a change, and change things for the better.

I have had lots of positive feedback and fantastic reviews, I wasn’t expecting that. I don’t take compliments well!

It sold out twice on Amazon and was in the top seller list. I never imagined I would be in the top 5, I thought I might be in the bottom 100! I honestly never thought about being in the top seller list, so to be in the top 5 position, was an amazing place to be.

If you’re happy to – can you describe what the biggest obstacles were for you when transitioning? Did you have any communication issues that you had to resolve?

The biggest obstacle for me was fear – fear of letting my family down. I knew I couldn’t carry on. I knew I had to transition. Luckily I had supportive family and friends. When I started the transition, I didn’t think that 50% of the time, interpreters wouldn’t turn up. I never expected that my father would have to interpret.

On top of that, my parents didn’t have counselling or emotional support, so I tried to support them with this. This was quite a burden, I didn’t realise how much on top of transitioning, that I would have to think about.

What advice would you give to others who are in the same position you were?

My transition process was a very positive experience for me. Yes I have been through a rollercoaster ride. When you’re at rock bottom, the only way is up!

I was fortunate to be working. I was in employment. I was able to spend money throughout the transition – it’s not cheap, it costs a lot of money. From the beginning to end, including cosmetic surgery such as my Brazilian butt lift, aka buttock enhancement, the total cost easily exceeded £45,000.

I didn’t realise how much surgery was involved. I know I needed to transition but it was one thing after another. Overall it has been a positive experience. I needed to do lots of research, into the surgeons, safety, where to go, speak to people who had had the surgery what their experiences were, it’s important to do thorough research as there are so many risks linked to the multiple surgeries.

Is there anyone in particular who has inspired or encouraged you on your journey?

Family and friends who have always taught me to love myself, as I love others. Happiness is important in life, so you have to be happy being your true self. My parents are my inspiration, as they taught me love, acceptance and happiness is important in life. That is what helped me transition, even though I was fearful of hurting them.

What’s next for you? Do you have any career aspirations you’re working towards?

I would like to see my book in theatre start with, I am hoping to work with Deafinitely Theatre on this. If I am lucky it may be made into a film, it would be nice to have it on Netflix!

I have lots of dreams I want to achieve in life, I have the motivation and the fire inside to help me achieve it. I want to show that being deaf and transgender does not have to be a barrier and that you can still achieve anything in life.

Samantha’s book can be purchased via Amazon. You can even scan the QR code on the back of the book to access the website and watch the BSL version of the book.

‘Samantha Pearsall, The Woman I am’ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-I-Am-Samantha-Pearsall/dp/1838460578/ref=sr_1_1?crid=24KIY8DEZSGKH&dchild=1&keywords=samantha+pearsall&qid=1631885838&sprefix=samantha+p%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1