William McIlvanney (1936-2015)

       Scottish author William McIlvanney has passed away; see, for example:

• William McIlvanney obituary by James Campbell, in The Guardian
• William McIlvanney: Godfather of Tartan Noir dies aged 79 by Ben Lawrence, in The Telegraph
• Scotland loses a cultural legend.Novelist, poet, political thinker, intellectual: William McIlvanney dies aged 79 by Rebecca Gray, in The Herald

       McIlvanney is best-known for his Laidlaw-trilogy -- recently re-issued by Europa Editions and definitely worth picking up.