AuthorsLive is excited to welcome novelist Douglas Stuart to Greenwich Library. He will be reading from and discussing his debut novel Shuggie Bain, the unforgettable story of young Hugh “Shuggie” Bain, a sweet and lonely boy who spends his 1980's childhood in run-down public housing in Glasgow, Scotland. Thatcher’s policies have put husbands and sons out of work, and the city’s notorious drug epidemic is waiting in the wings. This event is rescheduled from March 2020. (Note: this event will not be livestreamed, but a recording will be made available on the Library's YouTube channel within one week.)

Shuggie Bain is the winner of the 2020 Booker Prize, a New York Times Bestseller, and a Finalist for the National Book Award.

Douglas Stuart will be in conversation with Barbara Hoffert of Library Journal.

For your safety, all attendees will be required to show proof of full vaccination (in the form of their CDC Vaccination Card or a photo or photocopy of the Card) or a negative PCR Test taken within 72 hours of the event. No one will be admitted without this documentation. Protocols may be modified as and when laws, science, and/or institutional requirements change. Capacity in the Berkley Theater is set at 100% for adult programs. 

Shuggie’s mother Agnes walks a wayward path: she is Shuggie’s guiding light but a burden for him and his brothers and sisters. It is, among other things, the story of Shuggie's intense love for his mother, who is, at times, very difficult to love. His older siblings break free from the situation, leaving him to care for her as she swings between alcoholic binges and attempts at sobriety. Shuggie is meanwhile struggling to somehow become the normal boy he desperately longs to be, but everyone has realized that he is “no right,” a boy with a secret that all but him can see. Agnes is supportive of her son, but her addiction has the power to eclipse everyone close to her—even her beloved Shuggie.

• Greenwich Librarian Stephen created this BOOKLIST of additional recommended books and films that deal with similar themes. 
• Author Douglas Stuart also shares his list of favorite books in this BOOKLIST, containing both classics and 'under-the-radar' titles. 
• If you liked Frank McCourt's memoir Angela's Ashes and Hanya Yanagihara's intense novel A Little Life, you will want to pick up a copy of this book. 

Shuggie Bain in the News:

• Check out the glowing New York Times book review of Stuart's Shuggie Bain
• Don't miss this recent in-depth interview with Stuart, which appeared in The New Yorker's "This Week in Fiction" column. 
• Here Douglas Stuart reads his fiction story from the January 13 issue of The New Yorker.  
• Kirkus Reviews has called the book "a masterpiece" in a recent starred review and while it's harrowing, it is also impossible to put down. 
• One of Lithub's Most Anticipated Books of 2020, releasing in February.

Douglas Stuart was born and raised in Glasgow. After graduating from the Royal College of Art in London, he moved to New York City, where he began a career in fashion design. Shuggie Bain is his first novel.

This event is open to all at no charge. Registration, using the Library's online calendar is highly recommended as space is limited. Books will be available for purchase and signing through Diane's Books.

AuthorsLive at Greenwich Library is made possible through the support of the Greenwich Library Board of Trustees and contributions by generous donors. For more information, please visit greenwichlibrary.org/authorslive.

To get early access to all the Library's Author events, sign up here for AuthorsLive email newsletters.

For more information, or questions about this event, please contact Kathy Cihi at kcihi@greenwichlibrary.org.