William McIlvanney was a highly regarded Scottish author, known for his contributions to crime fiction, poetry, and journalism. He was born on November 25, 1936, in Kilmarnock, Scotland, and was the fourth child of a miner. McIlvanney received his education at Kilmarnock Academy and Glasgow University, where he earned a Master of Arts degree in 1960. Before turning to writing, he worked as a teacher of English for many years, eventually leaving his position as assistant headmaster at Greenwood Academy in 1975 to pursue a career in writing.
McIlvanney's writing is known for its gritty, poetic style, and he is often referred to as the "godfather of tartan noir." His Laidlaw series of crime novels, featuring Inspector Jack Laidlaw, is considered to be some of his best work. The first book in the series, "Laidlaw," is considered to be the first book of Tartan Noir. His other notable works include "Docherty," which won the Whitbread Novel Award in 1975, and "Remedy is None," which won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize in 1967. McIlvanney was also an acclaimed poet, with two collections of poetry to his name: "The Longships in Harbour: Poems" (1970) and "Surviving the Shipwreck" (1991).
In addition to his work as a writer, McIlvanney was also a regular newspaper columnist and contributed to a number of daily newspapers. He was also the narrator and writer of the football documentary "Only A Game?" for BBC Scotland, which was broadcast in 1986. He held strong views on socialism throughout his life and was a vocal opposer of Thatcherism. By 2014, he had come to the conclusion that the Independence of Scotland might be the best political solution, though he did so with hesitation. McIlvanney passed away on December 5, 2015, leaving behind a lasting legacy in Scottish literature.