The Two Roberts
- 4 Sep 2025
- 9781805301547
- £18.99
- 320 pp
- 141×220mm
- 27 Aug 2026
- 9781837261253
- £9.99
- 320 pp
- 129×198mm
- 4 Sep 2025
- 9781837260836
- £15.19
- 320 pp
- 4 Sep 2025
- 9781837260843
- £25
- 11 hrs 38 min
In a few words
Meet Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun: artists, lovers, outsiders. From 1930s Glasgow to wartime London, The Two Roberts is a captivating novel inspired by their wild lives
In a few words
Meet Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun: artists, lovers, outsiders. From 1930s Glasgow to wartime London, The Two Roberts is a captivating novel inspired by their wild lives
In a few words
Meet Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun: artists, lovers, outsiders. From 1930s Glasgow to wartime London, The Two Roberts is a captivating novel inspired by their wild lives
In a few words
Meet Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun: artists, lovers, outsiders. From 1930s Glasgow to wartime London, The Two Roberts is a captivating novel inspired by their wild lives
Barr proves that Glasgow has many stories to tell. A funny, charming book that crackles with creative rebellion. It is a pleasure to read and there is real joy in discovering the forgotten history of these working-class antiheroes
Douglas Stuart
Brilliant . . . Immersive, intelligent, immensely sensual
Elif Shafak
Barr proves that Glasgow has many stories to tell. A funny, charming book that crackles with creative rebellion. It is a pleasure to read and there is real joy in discovering the forgotten history of these working-class antiheroes
Douglas Stuart
Brilliant . . . Immersive, intelligent, immensely sensual
Elif Shafak
Barr proves that Glasgow has many stories to tell. A funny, charming book that crackles with creative rebellion. It is a pleasure to read and there is real joy in discovering the forgotten history of these working-class antiheroes
Douglas Stuart
Brilliant . . . Immersive, intelligent, immensely sensual
Elif Shafak
Barr proves that Glasgow has many stories to tell. A funny, charming book that crackles with creative rebellion. It is a pleasure to read and there is real joy in discovering the forgotten history of these working-class antiheroes
Douglas Stuart
Brilliant . . . Immersive, intelligent, immensely sensual
Elif Shafak
More about
the book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2025
SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL WRITING AWARD FOR FICTION 2026
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WINSTON GRAHAM PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2026
LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2026
A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK
A BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2025 FOR THE GUARDIAN, THE OBSERVER, THE HERALD AND THE BBC
‘Crackles with creative rebellion’ DOUGLAS STUART
‘immersive, intelligent, immensely sensual’ ELIF SHAFAK
‘A tender and evocative act of resurrection‘ JAMES CAHILL, SPECTATOR
‘The greatest and truest story of two male lovers I have ever read’ RUSSELL T DAVIES
‘Deeply affecting . . . vivid and moving’ PETER PARKER, THE TIMES
He will stay like this forever, Robert’s arm draped round him. They will be forever twenty.
Scotland, 1933. Bobby MacBryde is off to the Glasgow School of Art. On his first day he will meet another Robert, a quiet man with loose dark curls – and never leave his side. With the world on the brink of war, their unrivalled talent takes them all over Europe, partying, loving, fighting, painting. The pair become stars as the bombs fall in this stunningly re-imagined true story of devotion and obsession, art and class.
More about
the book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2025
SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL WRITING AWARD FOR FICTION 2026
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WINSTON GRAHAM PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2026
LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2026
A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK
A BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2025 FOR THE GUARDIAN, THE OBSERVER, THE HERALD AND THE BBC
‘Crackles with creative rebellion’ DOUGLAS STUART
‘immersive, intelligent, immensely sensual’ ELIF SHAFAK
‘A tender and evocative act of resurrection‘ JAMES CAHILL, SPECTATOR
‘The greatest and truest story of two male lovers I have ever read’ RUSSELL T DAVIES
‘Deeply affecting . . . vivid and moving’ PETER PARKER, THE TIMES
He will stay like this forever, Robert’s arm draped round him. They will be forever twenty.
Scotland, 1933. Bobby MacBryde is off to the Glasgow School of Art. On his first day he will meet another Robert, a quiet man with loose dark curls – and never leave his side. With the world on the brink of war, their unrivalled talent takes them all over Europe, partying, loving, fighting, painting. The pair become stars as the bombs fall in this stunningly re-imagined true story of devotion and obsession, art and class.
More about
the book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2025
SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL WRITING AWARD FOR FICTION 2026
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WINSTON GRAHAM PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2026
LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2026
A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK
A BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2025 FOR THE GUARDIAN, THE OBSERVER, THE HERALD AND THE BBC
‘Crackles with creative rebellion’ DOUGLAS STUART
‘immersive, intelligent, immensely sensual’ ELIF SHAFAK
‘A tender and evocative act of resurrection‘ JAMES CAHILL, SPECTATOR
‘The greatest and truest story of two male lovers I have ever read’ RUSSELL T DAVIES
‘Deeply affecting . . . vivid and moving’ PETER PARKER, THE TIMES
He will stay like this forever, Robert’s arm draped round him. They will be forever twenty.
Scotland, 1933. Bobby MacBryde is off to the Glasgow School of Art. On his first day he will meet another Robert, a quiet man with loose dark curls – and never leave his side. With the world on the brink of war, their unrivalled talent takes them all over Europe, partying, loving, fighting, painting. The pair become stars as the bombs fall in this stunningly re-imagined true story of devotion and obsession, art and class.
More about
the book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2025
SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL WRITING AWARD FOR FICTION 2026
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WINSTON GRAHAM PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2026
LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2026
A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK
A BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2025 FOR THE GUARDIAN, THE OBSERVER, THE HERALD AND THE BBC
‘Crackles with creative rebellion’ DOUGLAS STUART
‘immersive, intelligent, immensely sensual’ ELIF SHAFAK
‘A tender and evocative act of resurrection‘ JAMES CAHILL, SPECTATOR
‘The greatest and truest story of two male lovers I have ever read’ RUSSELL T DAVIES
‘Deeply affecting . . . vivid and moving’ PETER PARKER, THE TIMES
He will stay like this forever, Robert’s arm draped round him. They will be forever twenty.
Scotland, 1933. Bobby MacBryde is off to the Glasgow School of Art. On his first day he will meet another Robert, a quiet man with loose dark curls – and never leave his side. With the world on the brink of war, their unrivalled talent takes them all over Europe, partying, loving, fighting, painting. The pair become stars as the bombs fall in this stunningly re-imagined true story of devotion and obsession, art and class.
A tender and evocative act of resurrection . . . The humour, compassion and tragedy of the story are invested in the incompatible, inseparable characters at its heart
James Cahill
SpectatorThe Two Roberts is the greatest and truest story of two male lovers I have ever read. A masterpiece. The celebration of these men while staring down their every relentless failing is world class. What an act of the imagination! It’s wonderful, beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring, honest, true, vital and magnificent. They live, they love, they fight, they sing, they fight naked and drunk, this is truly a literary miracle to look at these men and create them anew with such love, but such a tough, cold eye too
Russell T Davies
Deeply affecting . . . Barr’s description of the tentative and gradual way the couple’s love for each other evolves is done beautifully . . . A vivid and moving portrait of two fine artists
Peter Parker
The TimesThe Roberts live once more! A brilliant and unflinching portrait of love and talent. Spending time in this world, so beautifully filled with detail and atmosphere, was a real pleasure
Graham Norton
A tender and evocative act of resurrection . . . The humour, compassion and tragedy of the story are invested in the incompatible, inseparable characters at its heart
James Cahill
SpectatorThe Two Roberts is the greatest and truest story of two male lovers I have ever read. A masterpiece. The celebration of these men while staring down their every relentless failing is world class. What an act of the imagination! It’s wonderful, beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring, honest, true, vital and magnificent. They live, they love, they fight, they sing, they fight naked and drunk, this is truly a literary miracle to look at these men and create them anew with such love, but such a tough, cold eye too
Russell T Davies
Deeply affecting . . . Barr’s description of the tentative and gradual way the couple’s love for each other evolves is done beautifully . . . A vivid and moving portrait of two fine artists
Peter Parker
The TimesThe Roberts live once more! A brilliant and unflinching portrait of love and talent. Spending time in this world, so beautifully filled with detail and atmosphere, was a real pleasure
Graham Norton
A tender and evocative act of resurrection . . . The humour, compassion and tragedy of the story are invested in the incompatible, inseparable characters at its heart
James Cahill
SpectatorThe Two Roberts is the greatest and truest story of two male lovers I have ever read. A masterpiece. The celebration of these men while staring down their every relentless failing is world class. What an act of the imagination! It’s wonderful, beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring, honest, true, vital and magnificent. They live, they love, they fight, they sing, they fight naked and drunk, this is truly a literary miracle to look at these men and create them anew with such love, but such a tough, cold eye too
Russell T Davies
Deeply affecting . . . Barr’s description of the tentative and gradual way the couple’s love for each other evolves is done beautifully . . . A vivid and moving portrait of two fine artists
Peter Parker
The TimesThe Roberts live once more! A brilliant and unflinching portrait of love and talent. Spending time in this world, so beautifully filled with detail and atmosphere, was a real pleasure
Graham Norton
A tender and evocative act of resurrection . . . The humour, compassion and tragedy of the story are invested in the incompatible, inseparable characters at its heart
James Cahill
SpectatorThe Two Roberts is the greatest and truest story of two male lovers I have ever read. A masterpiece. The celebration of these men while staring down their every relentless failing is world class. What an act of the imagination! It’s wonderful, beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring, honest, true, vital and magnificent. They live, they love, they fight, they sing, they fight naked and drunk, this is truly a literary miracle to look at these men and create them anew with such love, but such a tough, cold eye too
Russell T Davies
Deeply affecting . . . Barr’s description of the tentative and gradual way the couple’s love for each other evolves is done beautifully . . . A vivid and moving portrait of two fine artists
Peter Parker
The TimesThe Roberts live once more! A brilliant and unflinching portrait of love and talent. Spending time in this world, so beautifully filled with detail and atmosphere, was a real pleasure
Graham Norton
Damian Barr
View profileDamian Barr is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. 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 a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime and named a Book of the Year in the Observer, Guardian and Irish Times. The Two Roberts has been shortlisted for the Nero Book Award, the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award, the Winston Graham Historical Prize, and was longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. Damian holds a PhD in Creative Writing and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. A champion for libraries, he lives in Brighton.
damianbarr.com | @mrdamianbarr
Damian Barr
View profileDamian Barr is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. 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 a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime and named a Book of the Year in the Observer, Guardian and Irish Times. The Two Roberts has been shortlisted for the Nero Book Award, the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award, the Winston Graham Historical Prize, and was longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. Damian holds a PhD in Creative Writing and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. A champion for libraries, he lives in Brighton.
damianbarr.com | @mrdamianbarr
Damian Barr
View profileDamian Barr is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. 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 a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime and named a Book of the Year in the Observer, Guardian and Irish Times. The Two Roberts has been shortlisted for the Nero Book Award, the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award, the Winston Graham Historical Prize, and was longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. Damian holds a PhD in Creative Writing and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. A champion for libraries, he lives in Brighton.
damianbarr.com | @mrdamianbarr
Damian Barr
View profileDamian Barr is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. 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 a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime and named a Book of the Year in the Observer, Guardian and Irish Times. The Two Roberts has been shortlisted for the Nero Book Award, the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award, the Winston Graham Historical Prize, and was longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. Damian holds a PhD in Creative Writing and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. A champion for libraries, he lives in Brighton.
damianbarr.com | @mrdamianbarr
