The writer William McIlvanney was my English teacher and class tutor at Irvine Royal Academy in the mid-60s,and while young people south of the border were idolising pop and rock stars, my fellow sixth-formers thought we had our own celebrity in our midst in the form of our teacher. Word somehow got round that William’s first novel had been published, or an enterprising student got hold of some copies to bring them in for signing. William obliged with some embarrassment and was very modest approximately his achievement.
He was a level-headed and understated teacher who was respectful and supportive of our goals,and his classes were among the most engaging and creative of all my educational experiences. I subsequently moved to England, but was able to keep up with his career when he took part in BBC arts programmes or on Radio 4 book reviews, and where he was an occasional guest.
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Source: theguardian.com