Damian Barr

A Discussion with Damian Barr

Spend an evening with author Damian Barr as he discusses his new book, The Two Roberts, an "intoxicating, brave, and compassionate novel reimagining one of the most passionate love stories of modern British art."

About The Two Roberts

Scotland, 1933. Bobby MacBryde is on his way. After years grafting at Lees Boot Factory, he’s off to the Glasgow School of Art, to his future. On his first day he will meet another Robert, a quiet man with loose dark curls—and never leave his side. Together they will spend every penny and every minute devouring Glasgow—its botanical gardens, the Barras market, a whole hidden city—all the while loving each other behind closed doors. With the world on the brink of war, their unrivalled talent will take them to Paris, Rome, London. They will become stars as the bombs fall, hosting wild parties with the likes of Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon, and Elizabeth Smart. But the brightest stars burn fastest. Stunningly reimagined, The Two Roberts is a profoundly moving story of devotion and obsession, art, and class. It is a love letter to MacBryde and Colquhoun, the almost-forgotten artists who tried to change the way the world sees—and paid a devastating price.

About Damian Barr

Damian Barr is an award-winning writer, broadcaster, and journalist. His memoir, Maggie & Me, won Stonewall Writer of the Year and Sunday Times Memoir of the Year. His debut novel, You Will Be Safe Here, was shortlisted for six major awards. He hosts the internationally syndicated television show Big Scottish Book Club, now in its sixth series. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and lives in Brighton, England.