Scottish author John Burnside has died aged 69. HANNAH ASSOULINE
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The creator and poet John Burnside, well-known in France for his novel “Scintillation” (ed. Métailié, trans. by Catherine Richard), died on Could 29 on the age of 69 yr. “after a brief sickness”, introduced his Jonathan Cape publishing home. Mentioned the London home “spoilt” by the information and declarations: “Burnside was one of the well-known writers of his era, with a profession spanning 4 many years. »
John Burnside was born in Dunfermline in Fife in 1955, a county positioned within the east of Scotland, and John Burnside spent his childhood in Cowdenbeath, England, then in Corby, Northamptonshire. He studied English and European literature on the College of Arts and Know-how, Cambridge. He entered the working world as an analyst and engineer within the laptop subject, earlier than publishing his first assortment of poetry, “The Hoop”, in 1988. His model was instantly seen. Burnside printed many different poems, novels and brief tales throughout his lifetime, primarily with the writer Jonathan Cape.
By means of his writings, the creator talked about his childhood, trauma from a violent and alcoholic father, but additionally about his personal addictions: medication, alcohol in addition to his habit to playing. A fruitful work that allowed him to win quite a few prizes such because the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize for “Feast Days” (1992), the Whitbread Poetry Prize for “The Asylum Dance” (2000), and even, in 2023, the distinguished David prize. Cohen, who was awarded for all his work. However, he wrote recurrently for a number of English newspapers, together with the Guardian, TLS, London Assessment of Books and the New Yorker.
Unforgettable textual content and smile
After turning into writer-in-residence on the College of Dundee, Burnside then grew to become a lecturer within the Faculty of English on the College of St Andrews, focusing particularly on artistic writing, ecology and American poetry.
Hannah Westland, publishing director at Jonathan Cape, mentioned: “John Burnside had a novel and miraculous capability to understand and talk the wonders of the pure world and the on a regular basis miracles that exist in our lives. His work was mysterious however by no means darkish, quite the opposite: he gave which means to the unusual and to learn it was the darkness he would really feel. We’ve got nice respect for him and can proceed to respect him and his work. »
Robin Robertson, Burnside’s long-time editor and Jonathan Cape’s poetry editor, mentioned: “It was one of many privileges of my life to work with John Burnside. Imperfect however sensible, amazingly proficient, he was an ideal author. »
Anne-Marie Métailié, its French editor, talks a couple of “violent shock” : “His work is vital to our catalog and our hearts, and we launched it in 2024 with the publication of “Scintillation” in our new SUITES assortment. His lyrics are unforgettable, as is his chortle. John was an ideal poet who additionally wrote novels. He leaves us orphans with solely his work to share. »