Douglas Stuart
From The Waterstones Podcast by Waterstones
May 19, 2026 · 26 min · Season 15 · Episode 7
About this episode
Douglas Stuart discusses his literary journey and the themes of his latest novel set in the Isle of Harris.
When Douglas Stuart won the Booker Prize with his debut, Shuggie Bain, it announced the arrival of a distinctive new voice in fiction. Now, after two novels set in his native Glasgow, his third takes us to the Isle of Harris for another close study of family dynamics, repressed emotion and the irrepressible urge towards self-expression. We sat down to speak with him about this change of location and the impact of its rurality, what he learned from his encounters with the local community and more about his own journey from a childhood with no books, to a life now filled with their riches.
People in this episode
Guest: Douglas Stuart
Topics covered
- Booker Prize
- family dynamics
- self-expression
- rural life
- literary journey
Keywords
- Douglas Stuart
- Shuggie Bain
- Booker Prize
- family dynamics
- Isle of Harris
- Glasgow
- self-expression
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Shuggie Bain
Places: Isle of Harris, Glasgow
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