The Subtweet
Hardcover book · 248 pages · Published by ECW Press

Also available at
- Another Story Bookshop (Toronto)
- Glass Bookshop (Edmonton)
- Librairie D&Q (Montreal)
- Massy Books (Vancouver)
- McNally Robinson (Winnipeg/Saskatoon)
- Queen Books (Toronto)
- Shelf Life Books (Calgary)
Indie musician Neela Devaki has built a career writing the songs she wants to hear but nobody else is singing. When one of Neela’s songs is covered by internet artist RUK-MINI and becomes a viral sensation, the two musicians meet and a transformative friendship begins. But before long, the systemic pressures that pit women against one another begin to bear down on Neela and RUK-MINI, stirring up self-doubt and jealousy. With a single tweet, their friendship implodes, a career is destroyed, and the two women find themselves at the centre of an internet firestorm.
Celebrated multidisciplinary artist Vivek Shraya’s second novel, The Subtweet is a no-holds-barred examination of the music industry and making art in the modern era, shining a light on the promise and peril of being seen.
Longlisted
The Subtweet takes the topic of online life and allows it to become simply part of the lives of its fully human, complex characters. What emerges is a deeply moving tale about the relationships between artists and friends. Biting and beautiful, it’s written with heart by an essential voice.
So engaging. I can’t think of anything I’ve read that has captured Twitter culture so well. There is something special in this book that really touches on the absurdity and pressure of social media and art. I couldn’t put it down.
The Subtweet is a smart, funny, incisive, heart-crushing interrogation of art, race, friendship, social media, and the music industry. These characters and their self-destructive self-doubt are compelling, real, and vivid. I wanted to live-tweet my reading because I’m just obsessed.
A subtle mystery—it captures the adrenaline-filled strange alienation and over-visibility of social media, the sedimentations of racism, and the vicissitudes of female friendship. This is a literary novel as well as a hyper-contemporary one. I literally gasped.
A postmodern take on A Star is Born…
A sharp, encompassing story… A piercing satire played out against diverse creative energies, The Subtweet is affecting, unnerving, empowering, and often truly LOL.
In this timely novel, Shraya speaks to a modern audience with bold cultural insight…
Shraya is one of Canada’s most prolific and exciting multimedia artists, and her latest book envelops both her literary and musical passions. This is a fast, absorbing read that is very much of this moment and full of both social commentary and fun.
Complex female friendship! Making art as a woman of color! The double-edged sword of being visible! What more could you want?
The luminous Vivek Shraya’s latest is a timely and compelling look at internet fame and how fickle it really is. Written in Shraya’s distinct voice, you’ll likely devour it in one sitting.
The Subtweet is a riveting read, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s so vividly centered in the here and now. It details how we live online and the truth we choose to reveal versus what we conceal. Run, do not walk, for this book, because it will be well worth your time.
This is the best novel I’ve read in years.
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Book Club Guide

Download these free discussion questions and bring The Subtweet to your next book club!
“Every Song”

Listen to the theme song from The Subtweet.
The Soundtrack

Every copy of The Subtweet comes with a link to a free exclusive download of the soundtrack, featuring original songs from the novel.