The Two Roberts

by Damian Barr

A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK
A BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2025 FOR THE GUARDIAN, THE OBSERVER, THE HERALD AND THE BBC

He will stay like this forever, Robert’s arm draped round him. They will be forever twenty.

Scotland, 1933. Bobby MacBryde is on his way. After years grafting at Lees Boot Factory, he’s off to the Glasgow School of Art, to his future. On his first day he will meet another Robert, a quiet man with loose dark curls – and never leave his side.

Together they will spend every penny and every minute devouring Glasgow – its botanical gardens, the Barras market, a whole hidden city – all the while loving each other behind closed doors. With the world on the brink of war, their unrivalled talent will take them to Paris, Rome, London. They will become stars as the bombs fall, hosting wild parties with the likes of Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and Elizabeth Smart. But the brightest stars burn fastest.

Stunningly reimagined, The Two Roberts is a profoundly moving story of devotion and obsession, art and class. It is a love letter to MacBryde and Colquhoun, the almost-forgotten artists who tried to change the way the world sees – and paid a devastating price.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, LGBT, Queer, Gay, Art

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2025

About the author

I'm a writer and broadcaster. My books are 'The Two Roberts', 'You Will Be Safe Here' and 'Maggie & Me'.

'The Two Roberts' is my second novel. Meet Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun: artists, lovers, outsiders. From 1930s Glasgow to wartime London and the Fifties, this is the fictional story of two truly wild lives.

They were charismatic art celebrities - collected by major institutions, photographed by Vogue, filmed by Ken Russell for the BBC. But they lived as hard as they worked, dying young and penniless yet on the verge of a comeback.

Tender, bold and deeply personal, 'The Two Roberts' is a timely love-letter to these queer Scottish pioneers, exploring what it means to discover your voice as an artist, to find love when it’s forbidden and to change the way the world sees. Prepare to fall in love with Bobby and Robert…

'The Two Roberts' will be published by Canongate in September 2025.

'You Will Be Safe Here' is my first novel. It's set in South Africa in 1901 and now. It explores legacies of abuse, redemption and the strength of the human spirit - there is always, light even in our very darkest moments. I didn't imagine it would feel so urgent when it was published.

'South Africa, 1901, the height of the second Boer War. Sarah van der Watt and her son are taken from their farm by force to Bloemfontein Concentration Camp where, the English promise: they will be safe.

Johannesburg, 2010. Sixteen-year-old outsider Willem just wants to be left alone with his books and his dog. Worried he's not turning out right, his ma and her boyfriend send him to New Dawn Safari Training Camp. Here they 'make men out of boys'. Guaranteed.'

Inspired by real events, You Will Be Safe Here uncovers a hidden colonial history and present-day darkness while exploring our capacity for cruelty and kindness. Here's what two writers I admire say:

'Devastating and formally ingenious, it traces the paths by which historical grief engenders present violence . A vitally brave and luminously compassionate book.'
Garth Greenwell.

'Damian Barr has written a novel concerned with single strain of human history, of how a people are made and unmade and how they go on to make and unmake others, of the stories they tell themselves to allow such things to pass.' Aminatta Forna.

'Maggie & Me' is my memoir of surviving small-town Scotland in the Thatcher years. It won Sunday Times Memoir of the Year: "Full to the brim with poignancy, humour, brutality and energetic and sometimes shimmering prose, the book confounds one's assumptions about those years and drenches the whole era in an emotionally charged comic grandeur. It is hugely affecting."

BBC Radio 4 made it a Book of the Week. Stonewall named me Writer of the Year 2013. In 2024 I helped turn in into a play for the National Theatre of Scotland.

I've also co-written two plays for Radio 4 and written a short after play for their Fact to Fiction slot.

From 2008-2023, I ran my own Literary Salon - interviewing fellow writers, profiling indie bookshops and share all kinds of bookish content. Guests included: Jojo Moyes, John Waters, Mary Beard, Yaa Gyasi, David Nicholls, Colm Tóibín, Taiye Selasi, David Mitchell and Rose McGowan. www.theliterarysalon.co.uk

My life is books - writing them, talking about them on tv and radio and interviewing other writers about their literary loves. I present my own books tv show on BBC - check out The Big Scottish Book Club on BBC iPlayer. You can follow me on twitter @damian_barr and insta @mrdamianbarr.

I live by the sea in Brighton with my husband.

Reviews

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards 2025

The Two Roberts by Damian Barr is a beautiful read- a story of art, love and survival.

Damian Barr has rightfully so shone the light on two incredible artists who in many ways are hidden away in the footnotes of contemporary art history. Robert MacBryde ( Bobby) and Robert Colquhoun ( Robert) were two incredible Scottish artists who rose to prominence before and during the Second World War. I've since explored their work on the web.

This is their story- a story of their love- a love forbidden and hidden by society but this is story that celebrates their defiance to be who they were. Bobby being the shining light to embrace life and step boldly where many would have not during the 1930s-1950s. Robert the more recognised as an artist- first in their year of school. But together they shared life- highs and lows.

Their story begins when meeting on their first day of Art School in Glasgow and from then on their destiny was set. This is a story of hardship and success; a story of success and failure but what shines through is their deep love- yes, volatile at time but always realising together they made a whole.

Recounting their early years at college as they discover the gay world of Glasgow and life in the attic at Mrs Cranston’s..then onto life within WWII. Life in London and entering the flamboyant world of the artists of the time; Anthony Cronin; August John; Francis Bacon; Dylan Thomas and the periphery of the Bloomsbury Group ( "The Bloomsberries") the Two Roberts navigate life with a zest and passion that never fully takes them to heights of their peers.

Life ensues in Sussex and Essex and still they pursue their dreams of recognition.

This is a book that shines a new light on two talented men and with the deserved success of of this novel a retrospective of their work has to happen. What is special is the bond between the two mens- yes, there are tragedies but they remain united and this is what makes the books special in gay literature where often couples separate and harder lessons are learned( that's not to say their life was easy)

The relationship is tender, fragile and will move readers

Damian Barr has written a book that deserves plaudits .

Highly recommended - a moving and warm read that oozes love and compassion and devotion

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until this book, I had never heard of the two Roberts - Scottish painters who thrived in the post-war years and were lovers between 1933 and the death of Robert Colquhoun in 1962. I found their life stories fascinating, nay enthralling, even in this fictionalized form. [NB: there is a comprehensive non-fiction bio of them, The Last Bohemians: The Two Roberts - Colquhoun and MacBryde, which served as inspiration for this tome - but sadly it's long been out of print and impossible to find!]. Interest in their work has been spurred by the book and there was just a major retrospective of their work in a gallery in Lewes this past month.

Barr tells their story with aplomb, and his prose is perfunctory, but easy to read and enjoyable. If only James Ivory were still actively directing films, this would make an excellent subject for him to tackle - I'd cast Josh O'Conner as Colquhoun and Jack Lowden as MacBride - the actors both mildly resemble the artists.

Speaking of film, the Roberts were profiled for the BBC in 1959 by Ken Russell early in his career and the final chapter details the making of that short documentary - it's intriguing in its own right, even if one hasn't read the book: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02j....

And there's an even briefer video from Scottish National Arts Gallery, which shows many of their gorgeous works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJZ6k....

I do have a few niggling quibbles - often a chapter will start in medias res with no indication of who new characters are, or where we are in the story - and then 5 or 10 pages later we eventually learn the necessaries ... I HATE that, as I always think I have just forgotten things and am getting senile!

And in Part Four, which covers the years 1941 - 47, the chapter goes along chronologically, and we get to 1947 ... and then oddly, there is then a short segment detailing V-Day in 1945! Why? makes no sense to backtrack at that point, should have been incorporated earlier where it belonged

The book is gorgeously designed, and I especially like the cheeky endpapers - but why not use one of the many pictures of the real Roberts on the cover, rather than this one of some anonymous himbos?

Still, I suspect this WILL make my top 10 books of the year and it's one I especially recommend for those seeking pre-Stonewall stories of interesting gay lives. The afterward mentions a similar book about two other gay lovers/artists who were friend of the Roberts - The Visitors' Book: In Francis Bacon's Shadow: The Lives of Richard Chopping and Denis Wirth-Miller - so I ordered that to read as well.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess I’d never heard of the Scottish artists Robert ‘Bobby’ MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun before reading this book and I suspect I’m not alone. How exciting though for an author to come across two people whose lives and achievements have been almost forgotten and bring them to a wider audience in an act of literary reincarnation. And to do so by imagining the thoughts and emotions of the men themselves. As Damian Barr writes in the Acknowledgements, ‘It’s the job of a novelist to know what we don’t know, to find gaps between facts to make our story.’

I felt I got to know the exuberant Bobby better than the more reserved Robert, although I can’t blame the author for falling in love with Bobby as a character, with his irrepressible energy, cheeky humour and sense of adventure.

Bobby and Robert’s passion for art burns almost as fiercely as their passion for each other, not that they don’t have their ups and downs like any relationship. Robert, as well as being physically fragile, has a tendency to withdraw into himself whereas Bobby is a man of impulse. ‘Bobby is so very alive that he is permanently alert to the pleasure in even the smallest thing. He is always being swept up in new excitement.’

I loved the way the author depicted the domestic intimacy of their relationship once they move in together, something fraught with risk given homosexuality was illegal. The author gives us a tragic example of the consequences of discovery at one point in the novel.

Funded by a scholarship of £120 awarded to Robert, in 1938 they set out for Europe to view the wondrous works of art they have only ever seen in books. In each country they visit Bobby is keen to try out his (very) rudimentary knowledge of the language. In Paris, a city filling up by the day at the prospect of war, they visit the Louvre where Bobby stares wondrously at the painting The Raft of the Medusa. In Marseilles there’s no art but there are plenty of sailors.

They return home, only to be parted when Robert is called up for military service whilst Bobby is exempted. It’s the first time they’ve been apart for years.

Two years later they’re back in London and fuelled by success. The pair enthusiastically immerse themselves in the hard-drinking lifestyle of the Soho set, rubbing shoulders with Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon, Dylan Thomas and Quentin Crisp. ‘Names, names, names. Names they read about in Horizon, New Writing, even the Evening Standard. Names that are now their friends, Well, mostly.’

And then suddenly their art is out of fashion and pretty soon they’re out of money and reliant on acquaintances to provide them with a roof over their heads and, importantly, somewhere to paint.

I found it difficult to visualise their paintings based on the verbal descriptions alone and, like many I suspect, I searched online for images. I was surprised both by the energetic use of colour but how aligned the pair clearly were in their artistic style even if it’s ‘objects for Bobby, subjects for Robert’. I also found a wonderful article on the BBC Arts website which includes an episode of the arts programme, Monitor, devoted to them (first broadcast in 1958).

You sense from the beginning that, given their lifestyle, the pair are not going to make old bones. However, I wasn’t quite prepared for how moved I was by the way in which they met their respective ends. It felt as if, rather than dying several years apart leaving one of them bereft, they should have gone together.

The Two Roberts has been described, aptly in my view, as the author’s ‘love letter’ to MacBryde and Colquhoun. I can only imagine what it must have been like for him to reach the final page of their story. Therefore I can forgive the author for including his own ‘wishful thinking’ version of their ending.

The Two Roberts is an intense, emotionally charged story of love, passion and loss.

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Colquhoun and Bobby MacBryde were celebrated artists whose heyday covered the late 1930s to the 1950s when tastes changed and the two artists fell out of favour ending their career in poverty.

I knew nothing about the two painters when I began this novel (and it is, Damien Barr assures us, a fiction held together by facts). I simply read it as a love story between two talented young men living in a time when homosexuality was illegal.

It is an absolutely enthralling story (no matter how much is true) and Damien Barr brings the two to vivid life. There's triumph and tragedy both in this story which encompasses some of the most exciting times in the art and literary world (the Roberts knew the Bloomsbury set and Francis Bacon amongst others. They certainly lived life in the fast lane.

Damien Barr has written a beautiful homage to these two Scots. I would definitely recommend this novel. I certainly want to know more about the two Roberts. I also want to read more of Damien Barr's work.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Canongate Books for the advance review copy.

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

so unbelievably perfect. taut with an intense emotion and thrill of love and longing. such a genuine romantic relationship between two distinctive characters and artists. so moving! loveeeed.

[Angus Meek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing. Although it was about their relationship it always felt like a PG version of what it should have been, the writing shying away from any real explicit description of their physical relationship with each other and others, which given the time period and the illegality of being gay should have been central to the story.

[Ditte]

DNF @ 19%

A book based on two men both named Robert - real life best friends turned lovers who met at art school in Glasgow in the 1930s and became famous artists for a while only for them to be all but forgotten in present day? Yeah, this book sounded exactly like something I'd love so it's a shame I couldn't make it further than 19% before I gave up on it.

Afterwards, I skipped around and read a few chapters here and there, including the last one, the epilogue, and the afterword because I kept thinking maybe if I'd kept going, I'd eventually get into it but the opposite happened. I obviously didn't get a full picture and I'm also not rating the book but I do have some thoughts.

The writing style seemed odd and I didn't like it. The randomly changing POVs (of the two main characters, an omniscient narrator, and occasionally side characters) was strange and didn't work for me.

While the author states in the afterword that he "tried not to let the truth get in the way of a good story", the parts I read definitely seemed to lean more on real historical events rather than making for a compelling narrative story or romance.

The book was clearly well researched but perhaps it would've been better to have used all this knowledge and research for a biography about the two artists instead.

[Elainedav · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I expected to like this book. I really admire Damian Barr, especially for the way he promotes other authors and public libraries through his work. And I have read and enjoyed his previous novel. But The Two Roberts is even better than I thought it would be! I loved it!

I am not especially interested in art or artists and you do not need to be to read this book. It is about so much more. The novel follows Bobby and Robert as they make their way firstly through the Glasgow School of Art and then through their professional lives. The two Roberts were real people, so their meeting at school was factual. Beyond that the line between fiction and non fiction is very blurred - the narrative felt very real to me, all of it, the successes, the failures, the people and the prejudice.

At the end of the novel Barr explains some of the distinction between fact and fiction. He then provides an alternative ending - the one he wished had happened. This was such a lovely, personal addition and not something I have seen an author do before. The whole book was so well written and I was so absorbed in the story of these two men that I had to google their art when I had finished reading.

Highly recommended. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[endrju]

'I'm not sucking Virginia Woolf's cock,' says Bobby.

The hotter it gets where I live—and it gets quite hot—the more I long for the northernmost parts of Scotland. In that regard, the novel temporarily quenched my thirst while I figure out how to get to Edinburgh, if not Kirkwall. The novel has also whetted my appetite for biographies of queer artists. I wasn't aware of the circles in which the two Roberts moved, but after finishing the novel, I got two books on Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud. I also got several other biographies, including those of Marsha P. Johnson and Dennis Cooper, while waiting for the big one on Baldwin to come out. If anyone reading this can recommend others, please do.

[Francis Pellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grabbed me immediately with the compelling two Robert’s and their relationship. Excellent

[Robert Czapla-Schermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, gut wrenching, heartbreaking. This is everything I want from a book but everything I hate about letting yourself be emotionally captivated. I laughed. I cried. I cried some more. And now, at the end of this, I want to reread it with different eyes.

[Fran McBookface · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to choose my favourite genre, I’d have to say heartbreaking queer romance. In Memoriam, The Great Believers, A Little Life—as harrowing as they are, I adore them all.

So I had high hopes for this one, especially with the added bonus of a Scottish setting. I was absolutely not let down. What a gorgeous story of love, ambition, adevotion.

The Two Roberts tells the story of young artists Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde, two real-life figures now almost forgotten. Two boys with different personalities and from different backgrounds who find each other at Glasgow School of Art.

Their story unfolds against the backdrop of 1930s Glasgow, world war, and a vibrant art scene with the likes of Lucien Freud & Francis Bacon they could hardly have imagined being part of. Damian does such a brilliant job of building their characters and their world. I think I was in love with Bobby MacBryde myself by page 20!

And, I knew this already, but my goodness, Damian can write. There are some truly beautiful passages in here - tabbed so I can come back and enjoy them again - and as much as I fell in love with the characters, I perhaps fell harder for the writing.

I absolutely loved the historical detail of Glasgow, especially the ‘hidden’ queer history and the boys' trips to the Barras.

The Two Roberts is moving and magnificent, and I was utterly captivated by their story. I cannot recommend it enough.

Huge thanks to the gorgeous folks at @Canongate for sending an early copy my way. Much appreciated.
l

[Robd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This heartwarming and moving novel is the reimagined story of real life Scottish artists ‘The Two Roberts’, Robert (Bobby) MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun.

Both born to working class Ayrshire families, they attended the prestigious Glasgow School of Art in the 1930s becoming best friends and lovers, albeit secretly in the oppressive discriminatory laws of the day.

Having won the art school’s Travelling Scholarship Award in 1938, they embarked on a cultural tour of Europe, curtailed somewhat by the onset of the war.

Moving to London they became very much a part of Soho and Fitzrovia’s social scene and partied with the likes of Francis Bacon, Elizabeth Smart and Lucien Freud. They had a slightly different relationship with the Bloomsbury Group who they felt were rich and entitled.

Gaining the monicker’s McPicasso and MacBraque, they nevertheless went on to produce many paintings collected by galleries throughout the world and although relatively forgotten, a retrospective of their work was put on by the National Galleries of Scotland in 2014.

This is a wonderful piece of storytelling, drawn from a whole host of sources. It is both tender and raucous, funny and tragic, but ultimately it is a wonderful story about art, life and love.

It left me slightly tearful.

Rob D

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am conflicted about this novel. The story of the painters Bobby MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun is fascinating and - to Damian Barr’s credit - quite vividly rendered. Bobby in particular is such a compellingly tragic figure, curtailing his own ambitions to support Robert and care for him in all ways a housewife - and a manager in one - would. However, I believe the true story of the painters far surpasses its description by Barr.

First of all, the author made the questionable choice to forego any description of any kind of physical intimacy between Robert and Bobby, but isn’t that precisely what makes the story queer? The cutoffs are always a little awkward, too.

Secondly, I thought Damian Barr’s own additions to the story - such as Morris, the two Roberts’ gay ‘mentor’ - were not always convincing.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I didn’t think the author’s grandiose tone was always very fitting, and it especially drags down the first few chapters about the couple’s youth. An example: “The world does not need artists - has no work for them, and yet Bobby and Robert paint night and day. The School of Art sits on top of Garnethill but is not above the concerns of the world.” This dryness keeps us from properly connecting with the two young artists - later in the novel, Barr has the brilliant idea to write a few chapters in an epistolary style, which introduces some freshness back into the plot, albeit just for a short while.

[Gilly R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book, I'd never heard of the two artists and am now keen to learn more about them after reading this reimagined love story.

[Matthew Spurr · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotional rollercoaster.
Compelling, but absolutely tragic - beautifully written

[Daren Kearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and informative fiction read based on the lives of two gay male artists from the 40s and 50s. It was heartening to read how they found love and kept their relationship secret from the authorities. The tragedy was the alcoholism that led them down a destructive path.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first half of "The Two Roberts", but then the story somewhat lost me. There were a lot of time jumps and the writing style was a little to flowery for my taste.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn’t heard of these two Scottish artists who were such stars of the art world in their time. Robert Colqhuoun and Bobby MacBryde were two young men from the West of Scotland who studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1933 and who met on their first day. From then on, they were inseparable, romantically together at a time when homosexuality was illegal, though often referred to simply as companions or room-mates.

I particularly enjoyed the early part of the book when the two were settling into life in Glasgow and exploring the city together. It seems that Bobby was the livelier of the two and his irrepressible spirit certainly shines through in the book. Robert seemed quieter and more serious. Bobby came from a very working class background and had worked in a factory for years before going to art college. My heart went out to him when few of his family seemed interested in his success.

The men won a joint scholarship to travel round Europe and this was a part of the book I also enjoyed, especially having seen some of the great artworks they refer to myself on recent visits to Amsterdam and Paris. In the war years, they mingled with many of the great names of the art world such as Lucien Freud and Francis Bacon and certainly lived the wild Bohemian lifestyle that you imagine many artists to do. However, they lived well beyond their means and often had to resort to borrowing money as their work became less popular and they therefore earned less.

The ending was particularly moving. Despite all their challenges and frequent disagreements, the two were devoted to each to the end. Even more moving, was the imagined ending Damian Barr includes in his notes, the ending he wished they’d had. I wish they’d had that too. Damian Barr has brought these two artists and their achievements vividly to life. This is a beautifully written story of passion in many forms and I’m glad I now know more about The Two Roberts.

[Balguthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s surely the mark of an excellent novel when, upon finishing, you find yourself so unwilling to leave the characters behind, that you carry on reading and researching everything about them, including the author who brought them to life. Such is my obsession with The Two Roberts.

Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde were two real-life Scottish painters who met at Glasgow School of Art in 1933 and were inseparable for the rest of their lives. For a while, they were the toast of the art world, then they faded into obscurity. Barr has taken what little knowledge exists about them and fictionalised their lives, giving them the true colour and depth they deserve, beyond the “they were just roommates” trope.

Barr writes with the warm, affectionate voice of someone sharing a cherished family story which is being told not only out of habit, but because it still matters. We come to know the two main characters as Bobby and Robert, and they are crafted with such vitality that they feel like old friends, to the point that I can’t believe that the author did not actually live with them. We feel we are there in their student flat, living through every party and every argument. We are there traipsing down the streets of Soho at dawn, hobnobbing with artists, writers, and sailors. We live through their poverty and their pleasures. Barr merges meticulous research with his own inventions to fill in the gaps in their lives with sympathy and beautiful cinematic detail. This novel is crying out for a tv adaptation!

Barr’s love for the two artists is abundantly clear, and I love that he wrote two endings for them: one is obvious, historically accurate and heartbreaking, the other is the ending he wishes they had had, but which is no less devastating, simply because it’s not true.

Read this with a drink in your hand. Something long and unctuous. You need to savour it along with Barr’s writing which will leave you with the quiet, lingering warmth of a late summer evening. It’s just glorious.

Thank you Netgalley and Canongate for the ARC.

 

[James Hulse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the start of this book; the Glasgow art school setting, the buzz of creativity, and the intensity of the relationship between Colquhoun and MacBryde. Those early chapters pulled me right in, and I honestly thought this was going to be a five-star read.

As the story went on, though, I felt it lost a bit of that early energy and focus. The later sections are still moving, but they didn’t hit me in quite the same way as they felt a little more fragmented and less emotionally sharp. Maybe that was deliberate, reflecting the pair’s decline, but I missed the connection and spark of the beginning.

Still, it’s a beautiful, compassionate book that shines a light on two artists who deserve to be remembered. If the whole novel had kept the power of those opening chapters, it would’ve been a solid five stars from me.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Den här var underbar underbar UNDERBAR.

[Kevin Rainford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally immersed in the world of the two Roberts for the past 2 weeks. As I was reading I’d stop and explore the surroundings mentioned or more importantly seek out the art works mentioned, both theirs and works they encountered or admired. Their devotion to each other and their art will always stay with me.

[Gillian Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this. A love letter to Glasgow, and to these two men of passion and character.
I had no idea they existed and I love that they have been brought to life again.
Well-written, engaging - I was so invested in their journey and didn’t want it to end.
10/10

[Olivia Atherton · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most beautifully written books I have read. Achingly sad, but tender and full of love. A really interesting insight into these artists and their lives. Really really loved this.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful and poignant story that sheds light on the works of Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde, two working class boys from Ayrshire (Kilmarnock and Maybole respectively) who meet as students at the Glasgow School of Art in the early 1930s and who form a professional and romantic relationship that lasts the rest of their lives. It follows them from Glasgow through to Europe pre-WWII and various parts of the south of England including London, and finally gives them and their love story the voice it deserves.

[Debby Binns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - what a book! The Two Roberts was a beautiful read- a story of art, love and survival.
Damian Barr has shone the light on two incredible artists who in many ways are hidden away in the footnotes of contemporary art history. Robert MacBryde (Bobby) and Robert Colquhoun (Robert) were two incredible Scottish artists who rose to prominence before and during the Second World War.
Like much historical fiction - I've since explored their work on the web and one of my objectives of 2026 is to go to Lewes and see the art collection that Damian Barr has done of their work.

[Steff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such well-written protagonists; I feel like I got to know Bobby and Robert on such a profound level. The author manages to showcase raw intimacy (the good and bad) in such a beautiful way, without overemphasizing the physical aspects. I simply cannot believe these were two real historical figures whose lives evolved the way they did. HIGHLY recommend reading this book.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d never heard of the Two Roberts before and wasn’t sure what to expect when starting this book.

Damian Barr creates such a gorgeously alive depiction of Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun’s life together, and of their obsession with art and with each other. While it isn’t hugely plot-driven, I found myself unwilling to let go of the two Roberts once I’d finished.

I also found it fascinating to encounter the works of various famous artists through their eyes, and in the context in which they were painted, understanding more clearly how and why these pieces move people so deeply. I’d definitely recommend looking up each artwork mentioned as you read (including the Two Roberts’ own work).

[Ellie Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a gorgeous and addictive novel, detailing the life of two artists. The love and passion for art comes across on the page. It is not just about the love shared between the two Robert's, but their love and passion for the creation of art. I didn't initially anticipate the length of their lives that we'd get an insight into, but it was both wonderful and necessary. Discovering that both of these artists were real added another layer to the narrative created about them and discovering the art they created was a real treat. Barr uses detailed and intricate prose, with characters who literally step off of the page. I absolutely loved this.