A MURAL inspired by Douglas Stuart’s Booker Prize winning novel Shuggie Bain has been unveiled in the city where much of the book is set.
The writer said it is “one of the proudest moments of my life” as the artwork was revealed on a wall of the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow.
The Glasgow-born writer in November became only the second Scottish writer to win the prestigious award for his debut novel Shuggie Bain, inspired by his childhood in 1980s Glasgow.
The piece was designed and made by the Cobolt Collective, made up of 2015 Glasgow School of Art (GSA) graduates Erin Bradley-Scott, Chelsea Frew and Kat Loudon.
Stuart said: “It is beyond my wildest dreams to see my words adorning the city that inspired them. Glasgow, and the Barras, are at the very heart of Shuggie Bain.
“The novel is a portrait of a working-class family from the East End, and their resilient Glaswegian spirit.
“I’m incredibly honoured by the beautiful artwork and lettering the Cobolt Collective and Glasgow School of Art students have created for the Barrowland Ballroom.
“I hope the mural inspires other weans to dream big with their creativity. It’s definitely one of the proudest moments of my life.”
The 30ft high by 60ft wide mural was commissioned by his UK publisher Picador to mark the novel’s publication in paperback.
Cobolt Collective said: “The book is rich in vibrant visual stimuli and depicts nostalgic imagery of Glasgow in the 80s that has inspired the content of the piece.
“Our mural includes the quote, ‘You’ll not remember the city you were too wee, but there’s dancing. All kinds of dancing’ – words which come from a section of the book where Agnes is telling her son, Shuggie, about the brilliance and the beauty of Glasgow.”
The mural also features “flourish”, a typeface created by two GSA students.
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