The famend writer wrote virtually 30 books.
Allan Massie has died aged 87 (Picture: Claudia Massie)
Famend writer Allan Massie, hailed as certainly one of Scotland’s best literary figures, has died aged 87. Massie had been battling what he described as a “wretched most cancers” and solely stepped down as a literary critic for The Scotsman final month. Massie handed away surrounded by his family members at his residence in Selkirk within the Scottish Borders on Tuesday (February 3). Posting on Substack, his son, Alex, stated: “Father died this afternoon. Exterior, my sister’s Dandie Dinmont terrier was barking within the backyard as he quietly slipped away. It was an excellent and mild finish to an excellent and mild life, the form of demise many people would possibly want for ourselves: at peace, in mattress, surrounded by all his youngsters.
“He was an excellent and type man and there are numerous youthful writers and others for whom he has been a supply of encouragement and far else moreover. He was additionally – and forgive me for stressing this however it does really feel vital – an incredible father. We will miss him vastly whereas being consoled that every one these phrases do type and furnish a sort of self-made monument.” Massie was born in Singapore however was raised by his mom in Aberdeenshire. He attended Glenalmond School on a scholarship earlier than heading to Trinity School, Cambridge, graduating in 1960.
Massie wrote virtually 30 books and is estimated to have reviewed round 3,500 books for The Scotsman since beginning on the paper in 1975. His first novel, Change and Decay in All Round I See, was printed in 1978. Massie thought of his mid-European trilogy of A Query of Loyalties (1989), The Sins of the Father (1991) and Shadows of Empire (1997) to be amongst his finest work.
His ultimate e book, Finish Video games in Bordeaux, was printed in 2015. Alongside his prolonged stint as The Scotsman’s literary critic, he wrote columns for The Scottish Every day Mail, The Sunday Occasions, The Herald and The Every day Telegraph.
Massie was honoured with a Knighthood of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2007 and acquired a CBE six years later.
After stepping again from his work with The Scotsman final month, Massie stated: “I’m not studying a lot today. My eyesight isn’t what it was, so for the previous couple of months I’ve been spending my days sitting right here, pondering, reflecting and remembering. If this wretched most cancers wasn’t concerned, it will all be fairly agreeable.”
Main the tributes was writer Ian Rankin, who was taught by Massie at Edinburgh College within the early Nineteen Eighties.
He stated: “Allan was such an enormous assist to me. The writers in residence I’d met at Edinburgh Uni had all been poets however I’d moved from poetry to prose.
“Then Allan arrived and I began displaying him stuff. I then entered a brief story contest sponsored by Sinclair Computer systems and The Scotsman. Allan was the decide and I used to be runner-up to Iain Crichton Smith. An enormous fillip.
“Allan was additionally enhancing New Edinburgh Assessment and took a narrative or two for that. Then, after Polygon had printed my first novel The Flood, Allan launched me to his editor at Bodley Head, Euan Cameron. Euan took my first Rebus novel Knots and Crosses. And that was that. Allan even supplied a quote for the jacket.I used to be in my infancy as a printed author however Allan was there on the supply! We saved in contact eternally after.”
Massie died following a battle with “wretched” most cancers (Picture: Allan Massie)
He added: “Allan was all through this era a terrific and largely underrated author – novels, non-fiction, e book opinions and different journalism. It was a privilege to get to know the person behind the work. I’ll all the time be grateful to him.”
One other shared on X: “Allan Massie was massively vital to me. One among my very first readers and champions. He was additionally an underappreciated novelist, a pointy however humane literary critic, a gentleman.”
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A 3rd echoed: “So very sorry to listen to the nice Allan Massie is useless. At all times admired his fiction. His opinions a pleasure to learn. Emails invariably cheering. Eternally grateful to him for placing me in PEN New Fiction II an incredible a few years in the past. RIP @alexmassie.”
Massie is survived by his three youngsters Alex, Claudia and Louis.
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