Episode

Scottish novelist Douglas Stuart on the isolation of secret-keeping

Podcast: Fresh Air
Published: May 4, 2026
Duration seconds: 2737
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Canonical source: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/04/nx-s1-5810167/scottish-novelist-douglas-stuart-on-the-isolation-of-secret-keeping
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Summary

Like a number of his characters, Booker Prize-winning novelist Douglas Stuart grew up working class and queer in Glasgow. He went on to have a career in fashion, which plays into his latest novel, John of John . “It's hard to tell people about grief. It’s hard to talk to people about poverty... and so I’d got very used to the silence in my own life, and my writing is the only thing that allows me to connect with myself,” Stuart told Terry Gross. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy