Alphabetical Diaries

A thrilling confessional from the award-winning, beloved author of Pure Colour.

Sheila Heti kept a record of her thoughts over a ten-year period, then arranged the sentences from A to Z. Passionate and reflective, joyful and despairing, these are her alphabetical diaries.

A thrilling confessional from the award-winning, beloved author of Pure Colour.

Sheila Heti collected 500,000 words from a decade's worth of journals, put the sentences in a spreadsheet, and sorted them alphabetically. She cut and cut and was left with 60,000 words of brilliance and mayhem, joy and sorrow. These are her alphabetical diaries.

Named a Recommended Read of the Year by The New Yorker
One of The Los Angeles Times's 15 Best Books of the Year
An Electric Literature Best Nonfiction Book of the Year

A thrilling confessional from the award-winning, beloved author of Pure Colour.

Sheila Heti collected 500,000 words from a decade's worth of journals, put the sentences in a spreadsheet, and sorted them alphabetically. She cut and cut and was left with 60,000 words of brilliance and mayhem, joy and sorrow. These are her alphabetical diaries.

Named a Recommended Read of the Year by The New Yorker and a New York Times Critics Top Book of the Year
One of The Los Angeles Times's 15 Best Books of the Year
One of The New Statesman's 20 Best Books of the Year
An Electric Literature and Literary Hub Best Nonfiction Book of the Year

A thrilling confessional from the award-winning, beloved author of Pure Colour.

Sheila Heti collected 500,000 words from a decade's worth of journals, put the sentences in a spreadsheet, and sorted them alphabetically. She cut and cut and was left with 60,000 words of brilliance and mayhem, joy and sorrow. These are her alphabetical diaries.