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Faber has acquired a “groundbreaking” dual-narrative debut for its YA list, Glasgow Boys, from 25-year-old Scottish author Margaret McDonald.
Alice Swan, associate publisher, acquired world all-language rights, excluding North America and Canada, for a two-book deal from Rachel Petty at The Blair Partnership.
Tipped by the publisher as a “working-class, LGBTQ+ coming-of-age story”, Glasgow Boys is scheduled for May 2024.
Faber said: “Exploring the power of identity, the care system and the Scottish working class, Glasgow Boys is an incisive look at young masculinity and the way even the most fraught childhood is not without hope. Against all odds, 18-year-old Finlay has begun his nursing degree at Glasgow University. But coming straight from the care system means he has no support network.
"How can he write essays, focus on his nursing placement and stop himself from falling for the hottest boy at uni when he’s struggling to even feed himself? Meanwhile, 17-year-old Banjo is trying to settle into his new foster family and finish high school, desperate to hold down his job and the people it contains. But his anger and fear keep boiling over, threatening his already uncertain future.
"Underpinning everything is what happened three years ago in their group care home, when Finlay and Banjo were as close as brothers until they stopped speaking. If these boys want to keep hold of the people they love, they have to be able to forgive one another."
McDonald, from Glasgow, is published in the disability-focused magazine Breath and Shadow as well as various other literary magazines. She worked for the NHS after shielding for a year, during which time she finished her Masters in English Literature from Glasgow University with a Distinction. McDonald also has a First Class BA (Hons) from Strathclyde University, where she studied writing.
The 25-year-old said: “Glasgow Boys is a novel I grew up writing and these characters are very precious to me. I feel so honoured to be represented by Rachel and utterly over the moon to be working with Alice, Ama [Ama Badu, assistant editor at Faber Children’s] and the whole Faber team who have brought with them such passion, but also have incredible storytelling power and insight."
She added: “To join the Faber list is a still-pinching-myself moment that I don’t think will ever end.”
Swan said: “A groundbreaking acquisition for the Faber YA list: Margaret McDonald writes exquisitely about two boys, on the cusp of adulthood who have grown up in the Scottish care system. This book will rock your world, steal your heart and make you want to demand better provision for our looked-after children.”
Petty said: “It’s so rare to find a book that is utterly devastating and heart-soaringly uplifting in equal measure. Glasgow Boys is a truly special debut.”