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Join two of Canada’s most beloved transgender authors Vivek Shraya and Kai Cheng Thom as they celebrate the release of two works of fiction exploring dystopian and utopian worlds that are frightening, fantastical - and not so far away from the world we live in today: Shraya’s The Hystericals, and Thom’s The Shapeshifter’s Guide To Gym Class. 

As communities around the world face the ongoing impacts of social, political, economic and environmental crises, visionary stories are more important than ever. Trans and gender diverse communities in particular are in need of bold narratives and supportive spaces that affirm resilience and strength amidst adversity.  

The Hystericals and The Shapeshifter’s Guide to Gym Class are novels written in answer to these needs: Novels that question power, call in the truth, and invite the courage it takes to heal and transform the systems we live in.  

Join these experienced performers and facilitators for powerful readings, engaged discussions, and book signing. Trans and queer communities will be celebrated and all allies and book lovers are welcome. The University of Lethbridge Bookstore will be onsite selling copies of the new released and more titles by these celebrated authors.

About the speakers 

Vivek Shraya is an artist whose body of work crosses the boundaries of music, literature, visual art, theatre, TV, film, and fashion. 

A three-time Canadian Screen Award winner, Vivek is the creator and writer of the CBC Gem Original Series How to Fail as a Popstar, which had its international premiere at Cannes. She was nominated for the Polaris Music Prize and has collaborated with musical icons Jann Arden, Peaches, and Jully Black. Her best-selling book I’m Afraid of Men was heralded by Vanity Fair as “cultural rocket fuel.” 

Vivek has been a brand ambassador for MAC Cosmetics and Pantene, a guest host on The Social and CBC’s q, and she is a director on the board of the Tegan and Sara Foundation. 

Most recently, Vivek released an alter ego visual album entitled VIVICA and her 13th book, a speculative novel, The Hystericals, will be published in Fall 2026 by McClelland & Stewart. 

Kai Cheng Thom is a Chinese-Canadian writer, performance artist, community worker, and trauma healing practitioner. She has published six books, including the novel Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars and the bestselling non-fiction collection Falling Back In Love With Being Human.  

She won the 2017 Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Prize both in 2016 for Transgender Fiction and in 2017 for Transgender Poetry, and in 2024 was nominated for the Pat Lowther Memorial Award.