Graeme Armstrong (author)

File:Graeme Armstrong as a young gang member, Airdrie 2006.jpg, 2006]]

Armstrong is from Airdrie, Scotland.{{Cite news |last=Preston |first=Alex |date=22 February 2020 |title=Graeme Armstrong: 'When I stopped taking drugs, I felt a kind of loneliness' |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/feb/22/graeme-armstrong-interview-the-young-team-airdrie-gangs |url-status=live |access-date=14 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128231142/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/feb/22/graeme-armstrong-interview-the-young-team-airdrie-gangs |archive-date=28 November 2022 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=O'Neill |first=Christina |date=19 May 2021 |title=Graeme Armstrong on The Young Team, leaving the gang life behind and his journey to literary success |url=https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/graeme-armstrong-young-team-leaving-20624978 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817184836/https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/graeme-armstrong-young-team-leaving-20624978 |archive-date=17 August 2022 |access-date=14 April 2023 |website=GlasgowLive }} As a teenager he was involved in North Lanarkshire's 'young team' territorial gang culture as a member of the Young Mavis, from Glenmavis.[https://news.stv.tv/feature/i-walked-into-uni-as-a-ned-and-left-with-a-masters 'I walked into uni as a ned and left with a Masters'], Laura Boyd, STV News, 22 May 2021 At fourteen, he was expelled from Airdrie Academy and began attending Coatbridge High School, where he joined another gang, the Lang El Toi (LL TOI) from Langloan, Coatbridge.

Armstrong is a lifelong supporter of Scottish football side Rangers F.C

Aged sixteen, following the deaths of three friends by heroin overdose and after reading Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, Armstrong pursued a route of higher education, and began to break away from gang life.{{Cite web |title=Ex-gang member and Young Team author Graeme Armstrong on the lonely road to redemption |date=7 March 2020 |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/18288677.ex-gang-member-young-team-author-graeme-armstrong-road-redemption/ |access-date=15 May 2023 |website=HeraldScotland }} During his time in gangs, he struggled with alcohol abuse, drug addiction and violence.{{Cite web |title=Graeme Armstrong |url=https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/graeme-armstrong/27503 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002122953/https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/graeme-armstrong/27503 |archive-date=2 October 2022 |access-date=14 April 2023 |website=Pan Macmillan }} Armstrong "stopped taking drugs on Christmas Day 2012" and speaks candidly about having a Christian faith. His experiences inspired his debut novel, The Young Team, a work of social realism, written in West Central Scots language.{{Cite web|url=https://literaturealliancescotland.co.uk/literature-talks/graeme-armstrong-standard-english-is-oor-second-language/|title=Graeme Armstrong – Standard English is oor Second Language|website=Literature Alliance Scotland|access-date=24 May 2023}}

In 2013, Armstrong received a 2:1 Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree in English Studies from the University of Stirling and returned there to complete a Master of Letters in Creative Writing, graduating with Merit in 2015. As of 2023, he is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.{{Cite web |title=Two Strathclyders on once-a-decade Best Young British Novelists list |publisher=University of Strathclyde |date=18 April 2023 |url=https://www.strath.ac.uk/whystrathclyde/news/2023/twostrathclydersononce-a-decadebestyoungbritishnovelistslist/ |access-date=15 May 2023 |website=www.strath.ac.uk}}

In 2021, Armstrong wrote and starred in a short film for the Edinburgh International Book Festival Infectious Nihilism and Small Metallic Pieces of Hope{{Citation |title=Infectious Nihilism and Small Metallic Pieces of Hope (Short 2021) - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15516694/ |access-date=15 May 2023 }} directed by James Price.{{Citation |title=Reading Scotland: Graeme Armstrong, Welcome tae Airdrie |url=https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/media-gallery/item/reading-scotland-graeme-armstrong-welcome-tae-airdrie |access-date=15 May 2023 }} Later that year, he presented a BBC documentary, Scotland the Rave with IWC Media, which was subsequently nominated for a BAFTA Scotland and Royal Television Society Scotland award.{{Cite web |title=Graeme Armstrong — News |url=http://blakefriedmann.co.uk/news/tag/Graeme+Armstrong |access-date=15 May 2023 |website=Blake Friedmann }}

During the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2023, Armstrong hosted James Kelman and spoke around difficulties in working-class representation, "cultural banishment" and Kelman's new work, 'God's Teeth and Other Phenomena'.{{Cite web |title=Watch online: James Kelman: Class Act |url=https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/james-kelman-class-act-18754 |access-date=1 September 2023 |website=www.edbookfest.co.uk }}

Armstrong wrote and presented a three-part BBC Scotland documentary series, Street Gangs{{Cite web |date=26 September 2023 |title=BBC Scotland - Street Gangs, Series 1, Episode 1 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gfmwwj |access-date=4 October 2023 |website=BBC }}{{Cite web |date=25 September 2023 |title=New BBC documentary on 'young team' culture to air next week |url=https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/entertainment/tv_radio/23811591.bbc-scotland-documentary-young-teams-air-next-week/ |access-date=26 September 2023 |website=Glasgow Times }} exploring current Scottish gang culture, including the recent impact of social media, drill music / roadman culture, and his lived experience as an ex-gang member, which aired in October 2023 and was featured on BBC iPlayer.{{Cite web |date=5 April 2023 |title=Writer who left life of violence behind to present BBC Scotland gang culture series |url=https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/former-scottish-gang-member-and-writer-to-present-new-bbc-scotland-gang-culture-series-4092659 |access-date=15 May 2023 |website=The Scotsman }}{{Cite web |title=Tern TV - Home Page |url=https://terntv.com/ |accessdate=24 May 2023 |website=Tern}}{{Cite news |last=Wray |first=Daniel Dylan |date=2023-10-16 |title='I've never been more dangerous than when I was 14': an ex-member of Scotland's teen gangs fights back |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/oct/16/ive-never-been-more-dangerous-than-when-i-was-14-an-ex-member-of-scotlands-teen-gangs-fights-back |access-date=2023-10-17 |issn=0261-3077}}

Armstrong is an ambassador for The Hope Collective, a London-based anti-violence organisation, formed originally to support the 20th anniversary legacy campaign for Damilola Taylor.{{Cite web |title=Ambassadors |url=https://events9352.wixsite.com/hopecollective/ambassadors |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Hopecollective |language=en}}

In June 2024, New College Lanarkshire inducted Armstrong as an honorary lecturer to celebrate the launch of their Undergraduate School in partnership with the University of the West of Scotland, offering the first degree level study in North Lanarkshire,{{Cite web |date=2024-06-10 |title=College and university partnership launches first joint undergraduate school |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24376142.new-college-lanarkshire-uws-launch-undergrad-school/ |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=The Herald |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Undergraduate Degrees |url=https://www.nclanarkshire.ac.uk/find-a-course/ways-to-learn/undergraduate-study/ |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=New College Lanarkshire |language=en}} alongside others including author and broadcaster Damian Barr, a fellow North Lanarkshire native.

Later in 2024, Armstrong joined a panel of experts at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) national conference alongside Karyn McCluskey and Maureen McKenna OBE to discuss early intervention and prevention,{{Cite web |last=COSLA |date=2024-08-01 |title=Impressive range of speakers announced for the biggest event in Scottish Local Government calendar |url=https://www.cosla.gov.uk/news/2024/impressive-range-of-speakers-announced-for-the-biggest-event-in-scottish-local-government-calendar |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=COSLA |language=en}} where First Minister of Scotland John Swinney also delivered an address.

As of 2025, Armstrong runs a violence prevention educational event series, ‘STREET BELONGING’ for school pupils, leaders and in the prison estate across Scotland, working with organisations such as Community Justice Scotland{{Cite web |date=2021-10-20 |title=Community justice exhibition opens at University of Stirling {{!}} About |url=https://www.stir.ac.uk/news/2021/october-2021-news/community-justice-exhibition-opens-at-university-of-stirling/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=University of Stirling |language=en}} and Medics Against Violence.{{Cite web |author=BBC Scotland |title=A brush with death led Callum to make a life changing decision. |url=https://twitter.com/bbcscotland/status/1712139243131425278?s=46 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en}} He is an associate for the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice {{Cite web |title=Graeme Armstrong |url=https://www.cycj.org.uk/about-us/meet-the-team/graeme-armstrong/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Children and Young People's Centre for Justice |language=en-US}} and currently sits on the Strategic Advisory Board for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit{{Cite web |title=Graeme Armstrong |url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19835594.Graeme_Armstrong |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=www.goodreads.com}}

In April 2023, Granta included Armstrong on their "Best of Young British Novelists" list, an honour presented every ten years "to the twenty most significant British novelists under forty."

• The Young Team (Picador, 2020){{Cite web |title=The Young Team by Graeme Armstrong |url=https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/graeme-armstrong/the-young-team/9781529017366 |accessdate=24 May 2023 |website=www.panmacmillan.com}}
• Raveheart (4th Estate, forthcoming 04/26) {{Cite web |title=4th Estate pre-empts 'love letter to rave' from Graeme Armstrong in 'hotly contested race' |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/4th-estate-pre-empts-love-letter-to-rave-from-graeme-armstrong-in-hotly-contested-race?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1731595336 |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=The Bookseller |language=En}}

• Landit (The Middle of a Sentence: Short Prose Anthology, The Common Breath, 2020){{Cite web |title=The Middle of a Sentence: Short Prose Anthology |url=https://booksfromscotland.com/book/the-middle-of-a-sentence-short-prose-anthology/ |access-date=2023-06-18 |website=Books from Scotland}}
• The Jakit, Mysticism n PPK Resurrection (Scottish Book Trust, 2022){{Cite web |title=The Jakit, Mysticism n PPK Resurrection by Graeme Armstrong |url=https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/scotlands-stories/scotlands-stories-2022/the-jakit-mysticism-n-ppk-resurrection |access-date=24 May 2023 |website=Scottish Book Trust}}
• The Cloud Factory (Granta, 2023){{Cite web |date=27 April 2023 |title=The Cloud Factory |url=https://granta.com/the-cloud-factory/ |access-date=24 May 2023}}

• La Gang - Italian translation of The Young Team (Guanda, 2021){{Cite web |title=La gang |url=https://www.guanda.it/libri/graeme-armstrong-la-gang-9788823528758/ |access-date=24 May 2023 |website=Guanda |language=Italian}}
• The Young Team - Spanish translation (Automática Editorial, 2022){{Cite web |title=The Young Team | Automática Editorial |url=https://automaticaeditorial.com/young-team |access-date=24 May 2023 |website=automaticaeditorial.com |language=Spanish}}

• Scotland the Rave – single documentary (IWC Media, 2021)
• Street Gangs – documentary series (Tern Media, 2023)

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Category:Living people

Category:People from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire

Category:21st-century Scottish writers

Category:1991 births

Category:Scottish documentary filmmakers

Category:Scots-language writers

Category:People educated at Airdrie Academy

Category:People educated at Coatbridge High School

Category:Alumni of the University of Stirling