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The Glasgow author said he wanted to leave his body to science
Renowned Scottish author and artist Alasdair Gray has died, his publisher has confirmed.
The 85-year-old was known for novels such as Lanark (1981) and the award-winning Poor Things (1992), which are both set in Glasgow where he was born.
His public murals are visible across the city, with further pieces on display in the V&A and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.
He died on Sunday at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
His family said he wanted to leave his body to science so there would be no funeral.
‘Extraordinary person’
Relatives released a statement through Mr Gray’s publisher Canongate. It said: “Early this morning we lost a deeply loved member of our family. Alasdair was an extraordinary person; very talented and, even more importantly, very humane.
“He was unique and irreplaceable and we will miss him greatly. We would like to thank Alasdair’s many friends for their love and support, especially in recent years.
“Together with the staff of the Queen Elizabeth hospital, Glasgow, who treated him and us with such care and sensitivity during his short illness.”
The author’s death comes the day after his 85th birthday.
Fellow author and friend Ian Rankin told BBC Scotland that Mr Gray was responsible for making everyday Scottish life interesting on an international level.
He said: “He could take something very personal to him – his background growing up in Glasgow for example – and make it that people around the world wanted to read it.
“He was part of that thing about taking Scotland out of the kailyard, writing sort of misty stories of Highland villages.
“Suddenly you were writing about things that meant stuff, writing politically, writing about your own experiences.
“His books were beautiful, they were crafted, they were elegant. He had a sense of fun, he was mischievous, he had this huge intellect but he was a ‘lad of pairts’ – he could do a little bit of everything and he did it all well.”
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Alasdair Gray has been described as “one of Scotland’s literary giants”
Nick Barley, director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival said: “Scotland has been blessed with a host of great writers over the past 50 years, but if history remembers only one, it will likely be Alasdair Gray.
“He was a bright star in a luminous constellation of northern lights; a game-changer whose boundlessly innovative, cross-disciplinary thinking paved the way for so many others to succeed.
“We can thank Alasdair, not only for his own great work, but for his role in creating the conditions for a literary renaissance that has, in so many different ways, changed most people’s understanding about what it means to be Scottish today.”
‘His genius will live on’
Francis Bickmore, Mr Gray’s editor and publishing director at Canongate, said: “What sad news this is that Alasdair Gray is gone. It seems hard to believe that Alasdair was mortal and might ever leave us.
“No one single figure has left such a varied legacy – or missed so many deadlines – as Alasdair Gray.
“At least through Gray’s phenomenal body of work he leaves a legacy that will outlive us all. His voice of solidarity and compassion for his fellow citizens, and his forward-looking vision is cause for great celebration and remembrance.”
His agent Jenny Brown said: “We mourn Alasdair Gray’s passing, but his genius will live on for readers through his remarkable work.
“He was a cultural trailblazer: nobody has done more to spur on, and give confidence to, the next generation of Scottish writers.”
One of the artist’s most famous murals spans the ceiling of the Oran Mor pub and restaurant in the west end of Glasgow.
A writer in residence at the University of Glasgow in the 1970s, Mr Gray was described as a “strong and close friend” of the institution.
Lifetime achievement award
University principal professor Sir Anton Muscatelli said: “Alasdair Gray was one of the true greats of Scottish art and literature.
“It is with great sadness that we mark his passing, but the many works he produced, from his magnificent novel Lanark to the inspiring murals that adorn the city ensure that his legacy will live on for many years to come.”
Mr Gray was a supporter of Scottish independence, writing Independence: How We Should Rule Ourselves, which was published in June 2014 as Scotland geared up for the independence referendum.
In June 2015 he was badly injured in a fall at his home, which affected his mobility, though he later returned to work.
Last month the author was given a lifetime achievement award by the Saltire Society for his contribution to Scottish literature.
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