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The Booker Prize Podcast hero episode 30
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The Booker Prize Podcast, Episode 30: Why you should read Shuggie Bain

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On The Booker Prize Podcast this week, we revisit Douglas Stuart’s 2020 Booker Prize winning-novel, Shuggie Bain, in celebration of Burns Night

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A happy Burns Night to one and all. In honour of this day of celebration for ol’ Rabbie Burns, and by extension all Scottish literature, we’re taking a dive into one of the most popular Booker Prize winners: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. The novel, Stuart’s debut, presents a blistering and heartbreaking exploration of the unsinkable love that only children can have for their damaged parents.

Douglas Stuart

Douglas Stuart

© Martyn Pickersgill

In this episode Jo and James:

  • Share a brief biography of Douglas Stuart
  • Summarise the plot of Shuggie Bain
  • Discuss their thoughts on the novel
  • Delve into the characters, particularly Shuggie and his mother, Agnes
  • Consider the idea of the divided self in Scottish literature
    Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

    Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

    Reading list

    Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

    Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

    Loitering With Intent by Muriel Spark

    His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet

    Episode transcript

    Transcripts of The Booker Prize Podcast are generated using both speech recognition software and human transcribers, and as a result, may contain errors.

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    Transcript to follow

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