Scottish Author William Mcllvanney dies aged 79
Celebrated Scottish writer William McIlvanney has died aged 79 after a short illness.
The author of the Laidlaw trilogy and numerous other Glasgow-based works such as Docherty, The Big Man and The Kiln died peacefully at his home in the city on Saturday.
He is survived by his partner Siobhan, his daughter Siobhan, son Liam and his brother, Hugh, the respected journalist.
Mr McIlvanney, originally from Kilmarnock, was an English teacher before changing career in 1975 to write full time.
He gained immediate recognition with the publication of his first novel, Remedy Is None, and through other works he earned the title of Godfather of Tartan Noir.
He was also an influential poet, journalist and broadcaster, and contributed to political and sporting life in Scotland through a series of columns and TV programmes.
He won a number of awards, including the Whitbread Prize, the Crime Writers' Association's Silver Dagger, the Saltire Award and the Glasgow Herald People's Prize.
The author influenced a generation of writers both in his native country and beyond, with the debt to US writers being acknowledged last year with the republication of his novels in the US.