William McIlvanney
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William McIlvanney (25 November 1936 – 5 December 2015) was a Scottish novelist, short story writer, and poet. He was known as Gus by friends and acquaintances. McIlvanney was a champion of gritty yet poetic literature; his works ''
Laidlaw Laidlaw (), organized as Laidlaw International, Inc. (with corporate headquarters in Naperville, Illinois) was the largest provider of intercity bus services, contract public transit and paratransit, and contract school bus service in both ...
'', '' The Papers of Tony Veitch'', and ''
Walking Wounded In first aid and triage, the walking wounded are injured persons who are of a relatively low priority. These patients are conscious and breathing and will often have only relatively minor injuries; thus they are capable of walking. Depending on t ...
'' are all known for their portrayal of
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
in the 1970s. He is regarded as "the father of '' Tartan Noir''" and as Scotland's Camus.


Biography

McIlvanney was born in Kilmarnock on 25 November 1936, the youngest of four children of a former miner, and attended school at Kilmarnock Academy. He went on to study English at the
University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...
and graduated with an MA in 1960. McIlvanney then worked as an English teacher until 1975, when he left the position of assistant headmaster at Greenwood Academy to pursue his writing career. The writer's elder brother was the sports journalist
Hugh McIlvanney Hugh McIlvanney (2 February 1934 – 24 January 2019) was a Scottish sports journalist who had long stints with the British Sunday newspapers ''The Observer'' (30 years until 1993) and then 23 years with ''The Sunday Times'' (1993–2016). Aft ...
. His son, Liam McIlvanney, is also a crime writer. In addition to his literary career, McIlvanney wrote regularly for newspapers, and was a writer and narrator of the BBC Scotland football documentary ''Only a Game?'' in 1986. McIlvanney held onto his strong
socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
views throughout his life. In common with many from his background in Scotland, he was strongly opposed to
Thatcherism Thatcherism is a form of British conservative ideology named after Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher that relates to not just her political platform and particular policies but also her personal character and general style of manag ...
. Later he became disappointed by the shift of
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
under
Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...
and by 2014 he had come to feel, hesitantly, that Scottish independence might be the best political solution. William McIlvanney died on 5 December 2015 at the age of 79, after a short illness. On hearing of his death, a number of public figures, including Nicola Sturgeon,
Ian Rankin Sir Ian James Rankin (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. Early life Rankin was born in Cardenden, Fife. His father, James, owned a grocery shop, and his mother, Isobel, worked in a sch ...
and
Irvine Welsh Irvine Welsh (born 27 September 1958) is a Scottish novelist, playwright and short story writer. His 1993 novel '' Trainspotting'' was made into a film of the same name. He has also written plays and screenplays, and directed several short fil ...
, paid tribute noting both his inspirational writing and his likeable and gentlemanly personality. ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' obituary noted: "Many authors are admired. Many are respected. Few are loved as he was, for what they are as well as for what they have written."


Writing

His first book, '' Remedy is None'', was published in 1966 and won the
Geoffrey Faber Sir Geoffrey Cust Faber (23 August 1889, Great Malvern – 31 March 1961) was a British academic, publisher, and poet. He was a nephew of the noted Catholic convert and hymn writer, Father Frederick William Faber, C.O., founder of the Brompton ...
Memorial Prize in 1967. ''Docherty'' (1975), a portrait of a miner whose courage and endurance is tested during the depression, won the
Whitbread Novel Award The Costa Book Awards were a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in UK and Ireland. Originally named the Whitbread Book Awards from 1971 to 2005 after its first sponsor, the Whitbread company, then ...
. '' The Big Man'' (1985) is the story of Dan Scoular, an unemployed man who turns to bare-knuckle fighting to make a living. Both novels feature typical McIlvanney characters – tough, often violent, men locked in a struggle with their own nature and background. The novel was adapted into a film in 1990 directed by
David Leland David Leland (born 20 April 1947) is an English film director, screenwriter and actor who came to international fame with his directorial debut ''Wish You Were Here'' in 1987. Life He initially trained as an actor at Central School of Speech ...
, starring
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...
, and featuring
Billy Connolly Sir William Connolly (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish actor, retired comedian, artist, writer, musician, and presenter. He is sometimes known, especially in his homeland, by the Scots nickname the Big Yin ("the Big One"). Known for his ...
. His novel, ''The Kiln'' (1996), is the story of Tam Docherty, the grandson of the hero of ''Docherty''. It won the
Saltire Society The Saltire Society is a membership organisation which aims to promote the understanding of the culture and heritage of Scotland. Founded in 1936, the society was "set up to promote and celebrate the uniqueness of Scottish culture and Scotland’s ...
Scottish Book of the Year Award. ''
Laidlaw Laidlaw (), organized as Laidlaw International, Inc. (with corporate headquarters in Naperville, Illinois) was the largest provider of intercity bus services, contract public transit and paratransit, and contract school bus service in both ...
'' (1977), '' The Papers of Tony Veitch'' (1983) and '' Strange Loyalties'' (1991) are crime novels featuring Inspector Jack Laidlaw. ''Laidlaw'' is considered to be the first book of Tartan Noir, despite the author's calling the term ''Tartan Noire''. McIlvanney was also a poet, and wrote ''The Longships in Harbour: Poems'' (1970) and ''Surviving the Shipwreck'' (1991), which also contains pieces of journalism, including an essay about T. S. Eliot. McIlvanney wrote a screenplay based on his short story "Dreaming" (published in ''Walking Wounded'' in 1989) which was filmed by BBC Scotland in 1990 and won a BAFTA. From April 2013, McIlvanney's writing was regularly published on his own website, which features personal, reflective and topical writing, as well as examples of his journalism. His final novel, '' The Dark Remains'', was completed by
Ian Rankin Sir Ian James Rankin (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. Early life Rankin was born in Cardenden, Fife. His father, James, owned a grocery shop, and his mother, Isobel, worked in a sch ...
and released in September 2021.


Reviews

* Gifford, Douglas (1976), review of ''Docherty'', in Burnett, Ray (ed.), ''Calgagus'' No. 3, pp. 58 & 59, * Aitchison, James (1983), review of ''The Papers of Tony Veitch'', in Lindsay, Maurice (ed.), ''The Scottish Review: Arts and Environment'' 31, August 1983, pp. 60 – 62,


Prizes and awards

* 1967
Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize The Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize is a British literary prize established in 1963 in tribute to Geoffrey Faber, founder and first Chairman of the publisher Faber & Faber. It recognises a single volume of poetry or fiction by a United Kingdom, Irish ...
for ''Remedy is None'' * 1968
Scottish Arts Council The Scottish Arts Council ( gd, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, sco, Scots Airts Cooncil) was a Scottish public body responsible for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland. The Council primarily distributed funding from the ...
Book Award for ''A Gift from Nessus'' * 1975
Scottish Arts Council The Scottish Arts Council ( gd, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, sco, Scots Airts Cooncil) was a Scottish public body responsible for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland. The Council primarily distributed funding from the ...
Book Award for ''Docherty'' *
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
Whitbread Award, for Best Novel for ''Docherty'' * 1977 Crime Writers' Association Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction for ''Laidlaw'' * 1983 Crime Writers' Association Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction for '' The Papers of Tony Veitch'' * 1990 Glasgow Herald People's Prize for ''Walking Wounded'' * 1990 BAFTA (screen adaptation): "Dreaming" * 1992 Glasgow Herald People's Prize for ''Strange Loyalties'' * 1992
Scottish Arts Council The Scottish Arts Council ( gd, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, sco, Scots Airts Cooncil) was a Scottish public body responsible for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland. The Council primarily distributed funding from the ...
awards for ''Surviving the Shipwreck'' and ''Strange Loyalties'' * 1996
Saltire Society The Saltire Society is a membership organisation which aims to promote the understanding of the culture and heritage of Scotland. Founded in 1936, the society was "set up to promote and celebrate the uniqueness of Scottish culture and Scotland’s ...
Scottish Book of the Year Award for ''The Kiln'' * 2013
Saltire Society The Saltire Society is a membership organisation which aims to promote the understanding of the culture and heritage of Scotland. Founded in 1936, the society was "set up to promote and celebrate the uniqueness of Scottish culture and Scotland’s ...
Fletcher of Saltoun Award 2013 for "outstanding contribution to Scotland's life and culture" * 2013 Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award for writing * 2016
University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...
posthumously awarded him with an honorary doctorate.


References


External links

*Writer's website a
www.williammcilvanney.comprofile
on Canongate Publishing website

Association for Scottish Literary Studies
William McIlvanney’s Laidlaw Novels
Association for Scottish Literary Studies
William McIlvanney
The Write Stuff, National Library of Scotland


References to reviews of work



McLuckie, Craig. "Researching McIlvanney. A Critical and Bibliographic Introduction", ''Scottish Studies International'' 28 (Scottish Studies Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz in Germersheim), 1999.
Newton, Ken. "William McIlvanney"
Literary Encyclopedia *

McLuckie, Craig. "Postcolonial Resistance: Class, Gender and Race in McIlvanney's ''The Big Man''," ''Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses'' (RCEI) 2002; 45: 151–67.

McLuckie, Craig. "William McIlvanney and the Provocative Witness: Resistance in the 'Laidlaw' Trilogy," ''Revista Canaria de Estudios Ingleses'' (RCEI) 2000 Nov; 41: 87-101. {{DEFAULTSORT:McIlvanney, William 1936 births 2015 deaths Alumni of the University of Glasgow Costa Book Award winners People educated at Kilmarnock Academy People from Kilmarnock Scottish mystery writers Scottish crime fiction writers Scottish novelists Scottish socialists 21st-century Scottish writers 20th-century Scottish poets Scottish male poets 20th-century British male writers Tartan Noir writers