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On Thursday, Scottish writer Douglas Stuart won this year's Booker Prize for the best English-language novel. His debut novel Shuggie Bain tells the story of a boy from Glasgow in the 1980s trying to support his mother as she struggles with addiction and poverty.
The 44-year-old Stuart was the only British-born author to be included in the list of six finalists of the most prestigious literary competition in the UK, even though he has lived in New York for 20 years. He is the second Scot to receive the prize awarded since 1969.
Stuart Douglas, a fashion designer, started writing his book a decade ago. The novel follows the life of Agnes Bain, who falls into despair and struggles with alcoholism after the breakdown of her marriage. All but one of her children have been driven away by her deterioration, and that child, Shuggie, struggles to help Agnes while suffering huge personal problems of his own.
The winner dedicated his book to his mother, who died of alcoholism when he was 16. “My mother is on every page of this book – I’ve been clear without her I wouldn’t be here, my work wouldn’t be here, " said Stuart during the ceremony, which took place remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony included remote appearances by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and former US President Barack Obama.
Chair of judges Margaret Busby said that unlike last year, when two equivalent prizes were awarded, this year the judges' decision was unanimous and they only "took an hour to decide". As she said, the book is "challenging, intimate and gripping... anyone who reads it will never feel the same" she said. She added that "the novel is destined to be a classic."
This year's list of finalists also includes "The New Wilderness" by Diane Cook, “Burnt Sugar” by Avni Doshi, “Real Life” by Brandon Taylor (all three authors come from the USA), "The Shadow King" by the Ethiopian-American writer Maaza Mengiste and "This Mournable Body" by Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembgi. Four of the six books that made it to the final are debuts.
For many years, the Booker Prize was intended for writers from Commonwealth countries, Ireland, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. From 2014, any novel written in English and published in the UK or Ireland can be awarded.
source: Polish Press Agency (PAP), Bartłomiej Niedziński