Scottish writer and screenwriter Peter May has died at the age of 74. He died on September 25 at his summer home in southern France, AFP reported, and the information was confirmed by the Scottish daily “The Scotsman“, quoted by BTA.
May is best known for his trilogy about the Isle of Lewis, located in the Hebrides off the northwest coast of Scotland. The series includes the novels “The Black House“, “The Man from the Isle of Lewis“ and “The Chess Pieces“. It has brought him literary awards in Europe and the United States.
Among his other books are “I Will Protect You“, “Quarantine“, “Night Gate“, “Silent Death“ and “Winter Grave“. His works have sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
His last novel will be published in 2027.
The writer's last novel – “Island of the Dead“ (Island of the Dead), is due to be published in January 2027. May wanted to end his career with it and had planned a farewell tour of Scotland and the Isle of Lewis to coincide with the premiere.
His publisher John Riley called him “indispensable“. “Peter May was one of the most popular and beloved crime writers of his generation“, Riley said, quoted by “The Scotsman“. He also described the writer as a man of kindness, generosity and “an extremely noble spirit“.
From journalism to crime novels
Before publishing his first novel “The Reporter“ in 1976, May worked as a journalist. He was 26 years old at the time. After the BBC adapted the book for television, he turned to screenwriting and over the next 15 years established himself as a screenwriter and producer.
Among the landmark television projects of his career are the series “On the High Road“ and Machair, filmed on the Isle of Lewis in Gaelic. It was his work on Machair that brought him closer to the Hebrides. This landscape and the local culture later became one of the main inspirations in his literature.
Sources: BNR, AFP, BTA