People Change

Vivek Shraya knows this to be true: people change. We change our haircuts and our outfits and our minds. We change names, titles, labels. We attempt to blend in or to stand out. We outgrow relationships, we abandon dreams for new ones, we start fresh. We seize control of our stories. We make resolutions.

In fact, nobody knows this better than Vivek, who's made a career of embracing many roles: artist, performer, musician, writer, model, teacher. InPeople Change, she reflects on the origins of this impulse, tracing it to childhood influences from Hinduism toWhat emerges is a meditation on change itself: why we fear it, why we're drawn to it, what motivates us to change, and what traps us in place.

At a time when we're especially contemplating who we want to be, this slim and stylish handbook is an essential companiona guide to celebrating our many selves and the inspiration to discover who we'll become next. (From Penguin Canada)

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Interviews with Vivek Shraya

Toronto Pride Grand Marshal Vivek Shraya opens up about her art and its inspiration

8 years ago

Duration 4:39

In this segment, artist Vivek Shraya discusses her relationship with her mother, masculinity, and Toronto Pride.

More with Anna Maria Tremonti53:57Vivek Shraya is a Debbie Downer

Multi-artist Vivek Shraya has turned out some pretty grim-sounding titles. Her books Death Threat and Im Afraid of Men opened a lot of eyes to the trans experience. And her latest work is an autobiographical play called How to Fail as a Popstar. All of which, Vivek jokes, make her sound like a Debbie Downer. But when it comes to heavy topics like fear and hate which Vivek has experienced more than most she manages to infuse the conversation with humour and hope. Listen to her chat with Anna Maria Tremonti, and you may walk away knowing the difference between good fear and bad fear, and how to turn bad fear into something good.

Chosen Family45:56S3 E12: Pop Dreams and Failures with Vivek Shraya

Come on listeners, do you believe in making your pop star dreams come true? Cuz weve got something to say about it. Thomas and Tranna are joined by singer, writer, multidisciplinary artist and queer icon, Vivek Shraya, for a fun and moving conversation about the power of pop music and what happens when you fail at becoming the one thing you want most in the world: to be a pop star yourself. Plus Tranna shares the story of her bumpy road back to the stage and on Obsessions were talking FBoy Island and the joy of discovering a great film podcast.

'The truth about the race card': Vivek Shraya asks the hard questions through poetry

3 years ago

Duration 3:06

Poets unflinchingly face the world in its complexity in Poetry on the Mainstage, part of the Frankfurt Book Fair where Canada is featured as the Guest of Honour.

Other books by Vivek Shraya