September discussion - "John of John"

Our book for September 2026 is John of John, by Scottish-American author Douglas Stuart. Stuart, who won the Booker Prize in 2020 for his debut novel, has been nominated again for John of John, his third book. It is also a finalist for the 2026 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. From the Booker Prize website: 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 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 confirms Douglas Stuart as one of the great British writers at work today. This month’s discussion will be held at Commaa in Sheung Wan. Please note: the café asks that for large groups, guests buy at least one beverage per person ($60 minimum). They have a selection of sweet treats, coffees, teas, and other drinks available for purchase.