What a difference half a year makes.
1455 was thrilled to include Douglas Stuart in our 2nd annual Lit Fest this summer, where he discussed his debut novel Shuggie Bain (on a panel moderated by the Book Maven herself, Bethanne Patrick). Last month, I caught up with Douglas for another installment of the 14:55 Interview. Less than a week after that, Douglas (already a finalist for the National Book Award) surprised nobody by winning the Booker Prize.
It was my extraordinary pleasure to speak with Douglas about Shuggie Bain, why it’s never been more timely or important to celebrate working class narratives (a genre that has traditionally been marginalized), the themes of trauma, grief, kindness, redemption, and why he considers this novel, above all things, a love story. Douglas also discussed what has (and hasn’t) changed since winning the Booker, what he’s working on next, and some of the things that inform and inspire him and his work.
Quick review: as if anyone needs to offer another recommendation, let me simply say: Shuggie Bain gutted and then restored me. When’s the last time you read a book that made you laugh and cry, more than once? This is the rare and miraculous type of book that truly contains multitudes: to be certain, the reader learns about places (and people) they might not know (in this case, Glasgow) with detail and dialogue that help one not only see, but smell and taste the action. Stuart takes us on a deep and occasionally dispiriting dive into the brutal realities of poverty; we see why and how failed political policies can effectively ruin entire generations; the novel is never didactic or preachy, and while the material is heavy, there’s also plenty of humor. There’s also a spirit of compassion and kindness palpable on every page, and when you hear Douglas speak it’s easy to appreciate how his sensibility informs his art. His talent is immense, and so is his heart. It’s exceedingly rare (in life, certainly in the literary world) to see genuinely good people win the big prize; as such, this is truly cause for celebration. Best of all, Douglas has more work in the pipeline, so we’ll be reading his book in the (hopefully) not-distant future.
Douglas Stuart is a Scottish-American author. His debut novel, Shuggie Bain, was a finalist for the National Book Award and winner of this year’s Booker Prize. It is to be translated into eleven languages. He wrote Shuggie Bain over a ten-year period and is currently at work on his second novel, Loch Awe. His short stories, Found Wanting, and The Englishman, were published in The New Yorker magazine. His essay, Poverty, Anxiety, and Gender in Scottish Working-Class Literature was published by Lit Hub. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he has an MA from the Royal College of Art in London and since 2000 he has lived and worked in New York City. Visit him online.
As always, 1455 is delighted to partner with our friends at D.C.’s historic The Potter’s House. Please support them (and independent booksellers) by buying your copies of Shuggie Bain here.
Want more Douglas? Check out our 14:55 Interview, and his appearance at July’s 1455 Lit Fest, below.
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