Shuggie Bain
Explore the recorded awards, edition information and related books below.
First publication: 2020. Publication dates and pagination vary by edition.
Book-club discussion
Suggested questions based on the book’s premise and form.
- How does the Glasgow setting affect the family’s circumstances?
- How does the use of Scots in dialogue shape your experience of the characters?
What is this book about?
Douglas Stuart’s debut follows Shuggie, the youngest of three children, and his mother Agnes in working-class Glasgow during the 1980s. Agnes’s alcoholism is central to their family life, against the background of a city changed by industrial decline. The novel is written in English with dialogue in Scots.
Shuggie Bain won the 2020 Booker Prize and was a finalist for that year’s National Book Award for Fiction. Its focus on childhood, family relationships and addiction makes those subjects useful starting points for discussion.
Award recognition
| Year | Book / recipient | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Douglas Stuart | National Book Award for Fiction | finalistSource |
Reader comments
Loading comments…
Similar award-winning books
Selected from shared categories, regions, award history, and reading profiles.
Mrs Death Misses Death
by Salena Godden
Also recognised in fiction.
The Book of Form and Emptiness
by Ruth Ozeki
Also recognised in fiction.
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
by Shehan Karunatilaka
Also recognised in fiction.
