Margaret McDonald on her love of The Hunger Games, her favourite books of the year so far, and falling in love with Jackie Kay.
The first book I remember reading:
Probably not the first books I ever read in my life, but it has to be Mates Dates by Cathy Hopkins. That entire series had me in the palm of its hand, and I had such a visceral reaction at age twelve or thirteen to The Secret Story that I remember squealing out loud. Me and my sister read them together and it was such a formative experience, us discussing all the drama. I also vividly remember The Girls’ Book of Glamour; A Guide to Being a Goddess by Sally Jeffrie, mainly because I tried out a lot of the tutorials and practised the etiquette guides. Being a girl growing up really is its own thing.
A book I recommend to everyone:
It’s genuinely a hard thing to do to find a crowd-pleaser, but if anyone asks for a good book to get out of a slump, or a pacy thriller, or a thought-provoking political read, or a beautiful romance: it’s always The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. How can a book be so many things! Unbeatable. It’s truly a perfect novel for me, as is the whole series. I actually read it for a course in English Literature, and I discovered during our seminar that there’s so many ways you can go into The Hunger Games; so many talking points, so many themes, at once a totally addictive page-turner, a stunning character study and an excellent critique of corruption and warfare. A masterclass.
The best books I have read in the last year:
I’ve been participating in the Trans Rights Readathon this year, which has opened me to such incredible literature. Beyond The Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon is an utterly fantastic introduction to gender nonconformity and just a very personal, tender and insightful journey to self-acceptance. You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi was also fabulous. Emezi is an absolute hero of mine and anything they write turns to literal gold! It was such a wild, exciting, and pacy read whilst also touching on themes of connection, grief, and sexuality. I also recently read Duck Feet by Ely Percy which was the freshest, most pitch-perfect Scots voice I’ve ever read: as someone who grew up in South Lanarkshire it truly resonated with me. Ely captured female friendships and coming of age as a teenage girl in a way I’ve never seen before. An instant classic.
A book I didn’t finish:
Honestly – none! I don’t tend to go into novels that I feel I won’t enjoy, and do a bit of research into the plot and themes before I actually commit to anything which tends to work out. That might sound stifling, but with two literature degrees I have slogged through a lot for the sake of a class or a lecture, which made reading a chore and something I really had to unlearn. Equally I have such a kinship with other authors, especially since entering into the industry. I just want to run up to any I meet and become fast friends, that I genuinely struggle to see their work objectively and not a total labour of passion and perseverance.
An author that has inspired me:
Jackie Kay is my absolute idol. I have no notes, no additions, just that. I was introduced to her work during university and remain astounded by her to this day. I wouldn’t even say I personally aspire to her level of prose, it’s just another realm of existence and I think all authors need someone like that for them, someone that opens the door to literature and the power of words and leaves them spellbound. Trumpet opened up my whole world at eighteen and nothing can really beat an experience such as that. Those types of books are for life.
My favourite place to read:
Very boring, but my bedroom. Scotland’s weather is so famously temperamental that I have definitely been caught out by it and received a soggy book for my efforts to enjoy the outdoors, and in libraries and cafes I get so distracted by everything happening. I find utter silence allows me to fall into a novel, which is the best way to read. 
Glasgow Boys (Faber) is the striking debut from Scottish author Margaret McDonald and can be bought here. Exploring the power of identity, community and the Scottish working class, this coming-of-age story is an incisive look at young masculinity and the way even the most fraught childhood is not without hope.
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