People Change
Published by Penguin Canada

The author of I’m Afraid of Men lets readers in on the secrets to a life of reinvention.
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 wearing many hats: artist, performer, musician, writer, model, teacher. In People Change, she reflects on the origins of this impulse, tracing it to childhood influences from Hinduism to Madonna. What 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 companion—a guide to embracing our many selves and the inspiration to discover who we’ll become next.
#peoplechangebook
- Cover design by Jennifer Griffiths
National bestseller
Finalist
Musician and artist Shraya weaves savvy cultural criticism with raw personal reflections in this masterful investigation of reinvention.
A binary- and label-smashing examination of the infinite vastness of the self. Vivek’s introspection of her own life’s archive offers invaluable insight into how we define ourselves. My future self will definitely be bringing a copy to my younger self when we finally get those time machines built!
At once personal and philosophical. A must-read for our times, as we flounder with the particular and universal nature of change.
Vivek has redefined my view of what change can be, how not to fear it. Change is evolution.
A profound and thoughtful meditation on who we are and what it means when we change. Vivek Shraya’s personal journey touches on the universal and enfolds us all.
Featured
- The Canadian Books We’re Most Excited About in 2022
(The Globe and Mail) - Queer and Feminist Books Coming Out Winter 2022
(Autostraddle) - January’s Most Anticipated LGBTQIA+ Literature
(Lambda Literary) - Books by Women of Color to Read in 2022
(Electric Literature) - Most Anticipated Books of 2022
(Bookriot) - Books You’ll Think About for Days and Years
(49th Shelf) - Works of Canadian Nonfiction to Watch for in Spring 2022
(CBC Books) - What to Read for International Women’s Day
(Toronto Star) - Books to Read for International Women’s Day 2022
(CBC Books) - What Notable Torontonians Are Watching, Reading and Listening to
(Toronto Life) - Books to Get Your Mom on Mother’s Day
(CBC Books) - Asian Canadian Authors We’re Reading
(Daily Hive) - Best Books of 2022 So Far
(Indigo) - Canadian Books to Read for Pride Month
(CBC Books) - Canadian Books to Get Your Dad for Father’s Day
(CBC Books) - Recently-released Reads for Pride Month
(Toronto Star) - Must-read Queer Books From the First Half of 2022
(Bookriot) - Books That Are Still Gay Even Though Pride Month Is Over
(Autostraddle) - Bite-Sized Queer Reads for Every Occasion
(Bookriot)
More Press
- CBC Books
- University of Calgary
- GQ India
- The Georgia Straight
- The Next Chapter
- The Star
- Alberta Politics
- CBC Books
- Global News
- CTV News
- The Social
- The Morning Show
- Psychology Today
- Talk Radio Europe
- The Tyee
- The Manitoban
- Xtra
- Waterloo Public Library
- Daily Hive
- Indigo
- Canthius
- Your Magic
- Alberta Views
- SELF
- The New Indian Express
People Change: Behind the Scenes
Behind the scenes at the People Change promo shoot.
Listen to a clip
An excerpt from the audiobook edition of People Change.
Listen to the playlist
The official companion playlist to the book.