Agnes Owens

The building trade in the west of Scotland has slowed, and Mac leaves his home and his companions in the Paxton Arms for the oil-rich north to seek his fortune. But he soon finds himself out in the wilderness, chasing the promise of a job. In the meantime, he’s fallen for Nancy, but he can’t tear himself away from the allure of the drink. Agnes Owens is one of the most distinctive and entertaining novelists. Her strength lies in her straightforward storytelling; she understands how laughter and alcohol are vital antidotes to the life of an out-of-work bricklayer. 'I cannot wait for a new generation of readers to re-discover the work of Agnes Owens' – Douglas Stuart'Owens gives us the ordinary as already enough, already weighty, already strange' – Kirsty Logan'Agnes Owens has a canny eye for tragicomedy, a compassionate heart for the unfortunate, an acute ear for dialogue' – Financial TimesPublished to celebrate Agnes Owens' centenary year in 2026.

One of the List's Best Scottish Books of All TimePeggy is sixteen, ambitious and wants to get a job to help her rise above her current predicament. Soon, she is employed at Willie Roper’s corner shop. But before long, her situation goes from bad to worse as she falls in love with her married, older employer. Looking back to her misspent youth, Peggy, now in a psychiatric hospital, is turning her teenage exploits into a romance novel and is trying to get her bedfellow, the duchess, to read the manuscript – but she would rather read a Mills and Boon. As we read both sides of the tale, we learn about the fate of young Peggy and how she came to be in the duchess's company; the novel culminates in a surprising narrative punch. 'A book that remains both shocking and quietly revolutionary' – Heather Parry'Agnes Owens' hallmarks have been a frank irony, a deadpan gothic quality and a down-to-earth insistence on the surreality of most people’s normality' – Ali SmithPublished to celebrate Agnes Owens' centenary year in 2026.

A Working Mother is a perfectly crafted novel that will enthral, entertain and surprise in equal measure. Our unreliable narrator, Betty – arch, witty, clever – is married with children and feels trapped. While her husband, Adam, drinks and bemoans his lot in life, Betty flirts with their best friend Brendan and tries to avoid the roving hands of her new employer. Soon, Betty plots her escape. Agnes Owens' sharp wit, dark humour and lean prose are expertly displayed in one of her finest achievements. 'Agnes Owens was an absolutely brilliant novelist' – Kirstin Innes'A terrific writer' – Liz Lochhead'Her black humour and piercing observation bear comparison with the work of Muriel Spark' – GuardianPublished to celebrate Agnes Owens' centenary year in 2026.

Gentlemen of the West, Agnes Owens’ debut novel, was first published in 1984 to wide critical acclaim. The novel follows the humorous exploits of Mac, a young bricklayer, who, along with a colourful cast of characters, seeks solace and escape in the convivial atmosphere of the Paxton Arms and the levelling influence of alcohol. Each chapter feels like a self-contained episode, but this engaging novel is a cleverly constructed, coherent narrative that is a darkly humorous portrayal of working-class life. With sharp and inventive language, the novel skilfully balances drama and comedy, making you root for the underdog. 'A moving picture of a hard, surprising world which is forcing a young man to understand it and himself' – Alasdair Gray'Accomplished and resonant and . . . always informed with a comic astringency' – The Scotsman'Simultaneously funny and unflinching . . . an economy of language worthy of Ernest Hemingway or Muriel Spark' – Dani GaravelliPublished to celebrate Agnes Owens' centenary year in 2026.