Scottish writer and poet John Burnside dies

Award-winning author and poet John Burnside, known in France for his novel “Scintillation” (ed. Métailié, trans. by Catherine Richard), died on May 29 at the age of 69 “following a short illness”, announced his publishing house Jonathan Cape. The London house said ” devastated “ by the news and declared: “Burnside was one of the most acclaimed writers of his generation, with a career that spanned four decades. »

Born in Dunfermline in Fife in 1955, a county located in the east of Scotland, John Burnside spent his youth in Cowdenbeath, England, then in Corby, Northamptonshire. He studied English and European literature at the Faculty of Arts and Technology, Cambridge. He entered the world of work as an analyst and engineer in the computer field, before publishing his first collection of poetry, “The Hoop”, in 1988. His style was immediately noticed. Burnside published numerous other poems, novels and short stories throughout his career, mainly with the publisher Jonathan Cape.

Through his writings, the author spoke about his childhood, traumatized by a violent and alcoholic father, but also about his own addictions: drugs, alcohol as well as his addiction to gambling. A prolific work which allowed him to win numerous prizes such as the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize for “Feast Days” (1992), the Whitbread Poetry Award for “The Asylum Dance” (2000), or even, in 2023, the prestigious prize David Cohen, awarded for his entire body of work. On the side, he wrote regularly for a number of English newspapers, including the Guardian, TLS, London Review of Books and the New Yorker.

An unforgettable text and laughter

After serving as writer-in-residence at the University of Dundee, Burnside then became a lecturer in the School of English at the University of St Andrews, with a particular focus on creative writing, ecology and American poetry .

Hannah Westland, publishing director at Jonathan Cape, said: “John Burnside had a uniquely miraculous ability to perceive and articulate both the wonders of the natural world and the everyday miracles that make up our lives. His work was mysterious but never mystifying, quite the contrary: it gave meaning to the strangeness and to read it was to feel a lightening of the darkness. We have cherished him and will continue to cherish him and his work. »

Robin Robertson, long-time Burnside editor and poetry editor of Jonathan Cape, said: “It was one of the privileges of my life to work with John Burnside. Imperfect but intrepid, fabulously gifted, he was a very great writer. »

Anne-Marie Métailié, its French editor, speaks of a “violent shock” : “His work is important to our catalog and to our hearts, and we ushered in 2024 with the publication of “Scintillation” in our new SUITES collection. His lyrics are unforgettable, as is his laugh. John was a great poet who also wrote novels. He leaves us orphans with only his work to share. »