Sheila Heti: Alphabetical Diaries

The author talks to Lauren Oyler about her new book, all about change and our resistance to it, drawing on a decade of carefully-sifted, shifting thoughts.

Alphabetical Diaries is an experimental, autobiographical book about how difficult it is to change, why we don’t want to, and what is going on in our brain when we resist change.

Over a period of ten years, Sheila Heti kept a record of her thoughts, then arranged the sentences from A to Z. In doing so, she reshapes memories, feelings and observations, and presents a new way of looking at the world – a kaleidoscope of experiences and language.

Passionate and reflective, joyful and despairing, these are the Alphabetical Diaries.

Sheila Heti is the author of 11 books including the novels Pure Colour, Motherhood, and How Should a Person Be? Her books have been translated into 24 languages.