WayWORD are thrilled to host this special event with Booker Prize-winning author, Douglas Stuart to launch his third novel, John of John , following the mammoth success of Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo .

John of John is the heartbreaking story of a young mans return home and how the bonds of family life are torn by the weight of expectation. Out of money and with little to show for his art school education, John-Calum Macleod takes the ferry home to the island of Harris to find that not much has changed except for him

The event will be followed by a book signing. Ticket holders will receive a 3 discount off the RRP of John of John , subject to availability.

Douglas Stuart was born and raised in Glasgow. After graduating from the Royal College of Art, he moved to New York where he began a career in fashion design. Shuggie Bain , his first novel, won the Booker Prize and both Debut of the Year and Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. It was also shortlisted for the National Book Award, and in 2025 was selected by The Sunday Times as one of the best novels of the twenty-first century as well as one of the ten best Booker winners of all time by the Daily Telegraph. His second novel, Young Mungo , was a number one Sunday Times bestseller. His short stories have appeared in The New Yorker, and Love, Hope & Grit, the Imagine documentary Douglas made with the late Alan Yentob, is available on the BBC iPlayer. Douglas Stuart lives in New York.

WayWORD empowers young people to produce a cross-arts literary festival in Aberdeen. Celebrating new work and ideas, amplifying diverse voices and breaking down barriers to culture in our community, WayWORD is part of the WORD Centre for Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen. Find the full programme, including accessibility information, at www.waywordfestival.com [//www.waywordfestival.com]