Author Iain Banks dies of cancer aged 59

Two months after announcing he had terminal cancer, Scottish author Iain Banks dies at the age of 59.

09:25 11 June 2013

Two months ago, author Iain Banks announced that he had terminal gall bladder cancer and said that he is unlikely to live for more than one year.

 

On Monday, June 10th, the author - whose last bookThe Quarry is set to hit the shelves in 10 days, as of time of writing - passed away. The book details the emotional and physical strain of cancer. 

 

His wife Adele confirmed the sad news via a website saying: “Iain died in the early hours this morning. His death was calm and without pain.”

 

Talking about his latest and last book to BBC’s KirstyWark, Banks said he did not have an idea that he had cancer. He said: “I had no inkling. So it wasn't as though this is a response to the disease or anything, the book had been kind of ready to go.”

 

“And then 10,000 words from the end, as it turned out, I suddenly discovered that I had cancer.”

 

Bank’ first novel, The Wasp Factory, was published in 1984 and was included in the best 100 books of the 20th Century. In 2008, he was named one of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945 in a list compiled by The Times.