William
McIlvanney ...

Widely acclaimed and much loved, William McIlvanney has been at the forefront of the Scottish literary scene for decades. Poet, writer of non-fiction and novelist, McIlvanney had his first taste of publishing success in 1966 when his debut novel Remedy is None was awarded the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. This was to be the first in a long line of awards for McIlvanney, which includes both the Saltire and Whitbread Prizes for his novels and two Silver Daggers for his crime writing.

Born in Kilmarnock to a mining family, McIlvanney's working class heritage lies at the heart and soul of his writing. Throughout his career he has endeavoured to create an honest and truthful literary representation of Scottish working class life, something which, as a student at Glasgow University, he saw as lacking in existing literature.  

McIlvanney is a firm favourite at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, where he regularly holds sell-out audiences spellbound with readings of his work.

Read an interview with William McIlvanney in The Scotsman.