Douglas Stuart

On his Scottish book tour, we are delighted to welcome the Booker winning author of Shuggie Bain, Douglas Stuart, to St Andrews for an afternoon event. Touted to be one of the best books of 2022, Young Mungo is both a vivid portrayal of working-class life and the deeply moving story of the dangerous first love of two young men: Protestant Mungo and Catholic James.

Born under different stars, Mungo and James live in a hyper-masculine world. They are caught between two of Glasgow’s housing estates where young working-class men divide themselves along sectarian lines, and fight territorial battles for the sake of reputation. They should be sworn enemies if they’re to be seen as men at all, and yet they become best friends. As they begin to fall in love, they dream of escaping the grey city, and Mungo must work hard to hide his true self from all those around him.

Imbuing the everyday world of its characters with rich lyricism, Douglas Stuart’s Young Mungo is a gripping and revealing story about the meaning of masculinity, the push and pull of family, the violence faced by so many queer people, and the dangers of loving someone too much.

Make sure to book your place to not miss out on one of the biggest events of 2022.