We’re excited to be giving away three copies of John of John by Douglas Stuart to our GrownUps members!
To be in the draw, simply make sure you’re a GrownUps member, signed up to our newsletter, and fill in your details at the bottom of the page.
About John of John
The stunning new novel from the Booker Prize-winning, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo.
‘John of John has the emotional range and sense of sympathy of his earlier books, but this book is special, it has an urgency, an immediacy, a brilliant sense of place, the drama of fierce emotion repressed, concealed and volcanically exposed’ – Colm Tóibín
‘To read John of John is to move to the Isle of Harris and take up residence in the family croft. The novel is so immersive, so all encompassing, that I felt like I was living in it. Douglas Stuart has written something brilliant and rare’ – Ann Patchett
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. In the windswept croft where he grew up, Cal resumes his old life, caught between the two poles of his childhood: his father John, a sheep farmer, weaver, and pillar of their local Presbyterian church, and his Glaswegian grandmother Ella, who has kept a faltering peace with her son-in-law for decades.
While Cal wonders if any lonely men might be found on the barren hillsides of home, John is dismayed by his son’s long hair and how he seems unwilling to be Saved. As the seasons pass, everything is poised to change as the threads holding together the fragile community become increasingly entangled.
John of John is the heartbreaking story of a young man’s return home and how the bonds of family life are torn by the weight of expectation. It confirms Douglas Stuart as one of the great British writers at work today.
Author Information
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 US National Book Award for Fiction, among many other awards. His second novel, Young Mungo, was a number one Sunday Times Bestseller. His short stories have appeared in The New Yorker and his essay on gender, anxiety and class was published by Lit Hub.
You must be logged in to enter this competition.
Not a member? Join now
Terms and conditions
You must be a GrownUps member and subscribed to our newsletter to be eligible to enter.
The competition closes on 17th June 2026. Winners will be notified via email by 18th June 2026.
It is your responsibility to provide a correct New Zealand postal address for prize delivery. GrownUps is not responsible for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
Winners will be drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
GrownUps employees and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.
By entering, you agree to GrownUps using your name on social media as a winner of the competition.
One entry per household.
The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other items.
You must reside in New Zealand, as the prize can only be delivered within New Zealand.
You must be over 50 years of age to enter. Please ensure your membership details are up to date in your dashboard.
Join the Discussion
Type out your comment here:
You must be logged in to post a comment.