Slum Boy: One of the most moving accounts of non-fiction ever written

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'ONE OF THE MOST MOVING ACCOUNTS OF NON-FICTION EVER WRITTEN' GUARDIAN

'If you like Shuggie Bain, then Slum Boy is for you' LEMN SISSAY

'Beautifully told. I hope it finds a million readers' ANDREW O'HAGAN

John MacDonald is a four-year-old boy growing up in the slums of Glasgow.

John's mother is an addict, who leaves him starving in their flat for days at a time.

When a neighbour reports her, John is wrenched away from his family and placed into the care system. There, he has experiences he's too young to understand which his eventual adoptive parents silence as he grows into a gay man within a strict Romani community.

But John dreams of being reunited with his mother and will stop at nothing to find her.

'Compulsively readable' PATRICK GALE

'Remarkable and moving tale' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

Juano Diaz was awarded the Pride Awards 2024 for LGBTQ+ Heroes Changing the World.

Reviews

What a brave and powerful story. If you like Shuggie Bain and Damian Barr then Slumboy is for you -- Lemn Sissay
Fans of (Douglas) Stuart and (Damian) Barr will pounce on this startling debut. Compulsively readable, it's Dickensian in its rich cast of Glaswegian characters -- Patrick Gale
Powerful and beautifully written... Juano Diaz's elegant and heartbreaking memoir immediately brings to mind Douglas Stuart's Booker-winning Shuggie Bain * Guardian *
A powerful and at times harrowing memoir. Slum Boy is a remarkable and moving tale of survival. * Times Literary Supplement *
The writing is beautiful * Scooter LaForge *
A heart-breaking, inspiring read * Alan Cumming *
An extraordinary survival story * Sophie Fiennes *
A reminder that beautiful things grow and flourish * Christie Watson *
A heart-rending story that has you constantly holding back tears * Dr Pam Hogg *
I laughed and cried. It's a masterpiece * Joey Arias *

Author Bio

Juano Diaz is an internationally acclaimed artist and collaborates with many others including Pierre et Giles and Grace Jones. His work has been exhibited in galleries across the world including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Juano is currently working with film director Sophie Fiennes and lives in Wiltshire with his partner David and their son.