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The Subtweet

A Novel

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The Subtweet

Written by: Vivek Shraya
Narrated by: Nisha Ahuja
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About this listen

"Biting and beautiful." (Jonny Sun, author of everyone's a aliebn when ur a aliebn too)

Everyone talks about falling in love, but falling in friendship can be just as captivating. When Neela Devaki's song is covered by internet-famous artist Rukmini, the two musicians meet and a transformative friendship begins.

But as Rukmini's star rises and Neela's stagnates, jealousy and self-doubt creep in. With a single tweet, their friendship implodes, one career is destroyed, and the two women find themselves at the center of an internet firestorm.

Celebrated multidisciplinary artist Vivek Shraya's second novel is a stirring examination of making art in the modern era, a love letter to brown women, an authentic glimpse into the music industry, and a nuanced exploration of the promise and peril of being seen.

©2020 Vivek Shraya (P)2020 ECW Press Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Literary Fiction South Asian Creators Women's Fiction

What the critics say

"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." (Sara Quin, of Tegan and Sara)

"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." (Andrea Warner, author of Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography)

"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." (Erin Wunker, author of Notes from a Feminist Killjoy)

All stars
Most Relevant
I could not stop listening to this story. I felt like I was right there in it!

Really captivating and relatable

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I loved how personal this story felt even though music production is something I know little about. The friendships between characters feel very real. It give insight on the ways hurt feelings can make us assume the worst of people we care about and how miscommunication can lead to damaging mistakes. It navigates complicated racial issues with nuance and emphasizes the need for diversity in the arts and education, giving the reader an inside perspective to the challenges faced by these brilliant, creative and passionate women.

Relevant, sincere and thought provoking

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I am a huge fan of Vivek Shraya - as a poet, novelist, performer, playwright, etc., but this is definitely my favourite piece by here. I can put into words the art, beauty, intellect and aliveness that is this book. It reminds me of Dionne Brand's prolific novel, Theory, but for millennials, which is to say, it's *everything*. It is at once a literary masterpiece and a profound and critical exploration of race, gender, class, and belonging. This book is beyond words magnificent.

The novel is my spiritual twin

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this book didn't sit in my wishlist or my TBR list for very long after I found out about its existence. and like the poetry and music I've enjoyed from Vivek Shraya, this is another work of art that hit me in my heart, and touched old wounds I wasn't aware were still sore. as WOC, trying to navigate a white supremacist culture hurts, and we hurt each other unintentionally and uphold a system that keeps us down. Vivek Shraya has a way of bringing words to this journey without enforcing shame and guilt for our participation, and instead seems to make space for introspection and celebration.

just read it. if you're looking at my review of all places, honestly, just stop reading my words and go read this book!

another beautiful piece by Vivek Shraya!

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