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Graeme Armstrong

グレアム・アームストロング

Gureamu Āmusutorongu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1991 （Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland）
Nationality
Scottish, British
Languages
English, Scots
Religion
Christianity
Residence History
Airdrie, Scotland

Career

Occupations
author, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, educator
Active Years
2020-2025
Affiliations
Ambassador for The Hope Collective, Strategic Advisory Board for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Associate for the Children and Young People's Centre for Justice
Influenced By
Irvine Welsh, James Kelman
Nominations
Saltire Society Literary Awards Scottish First Book of the Year shortlisted, BAFTA Scotland Single Documentary nominated (Scotland the Rave), RTS Scotland Documentary and Specialist Factual nominated (Scotland the Rave)

Education

University of Stirling
English Studies
Degree: Bachelor of Arts (2:1)
Year of Graduation: 2013
Country: United Kingdom
University of Stirling
Creative Writing
Degree: Master of Letters (Merit)
Year of Graduation: 2015
Country: United Kingdom
University of Strathclyde / University of Glasgow
PhD
Degree: PhD
Period: 2023-現在
Country: United Kingdom
Currently pursuing

Awards

Betty Trask Award
2021
Work: The Young Team
Organization: The Society of Authors
Result: Won
Somerset Maugham Award
2021
Work: The Young Team
Organization: The Society of Authors
Result: Won
Scots Book of the Year
2021
Work: The Young Team
Organization: Scots Language Awards
Result: Won
Granta Best of Young British Novelists
2023
Organization: Granta
Result: Selected

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Young Team

2020 Social realism

Semi-autobiographical novel depicting the territorial gang culture of North Lanarkshire's 'young teams', written in West Central Scots, exploring violence, drugs, friendship, and redemption.

gang culturedrug addictionviolenceChristian redemptionworking class
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] The Young Team (2025)
Translations
  • Italian: La Gang (Guanda, 2021)
  • Spanish: The Young Team (Automática Editorial, 2022)

Bibliography

  • The Young Team (Picador, 2020)
  • Raveheart (4th Estate, 2026)
  • Landit (The Middle of a Sentence, 2020)
  • The Jakit, Mysticism n PPK Resurrection (Scottish Book Trust, 2022)
  • The Cloud Factory (Granta, 2023)

Adaptations

  • The Young Team TV series (Synchronicity Films / BBC, 2025)
  • Raveheart screen adaptation (Warp Films)

Translations of Works

  • La Gang (Italian)
  • The Young Team (Spanish)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
West Central Scots dialectsocial realismvernacular prose
Recurring Motifs
young team gang culturedrug and alcohol addictionescape from violenceChristian faith

Health

  • Drug addiction
    10代-2012年
    Contributed to gang life, stopped taking drugs on Christmas Day 2012
  • Alcohol abuse
    10代
    Struggled with during gang years
  • Violence
    10代
    Involved as gang member

Legacy

Acclaimed for authentic depictions of Scottish working-class and gang culture, winner of major literary awards including Betty Trask and Somerset Maugham, selected for Granta's Best of Young British Novelists, and active in violence prevention education.

Trivia

  • Lifelong supporter of Rangers F.C.
  • Former member of Young Mavis and Lang El Toi gangs
  • Expelled from Airdrie Academy at age 14
  • Inspired by Trainspotting to pursue higher education