A. L. Kennedy

I am a writer. Alasdair was a friend and neighbour for something like three decades.

What does Alasdair Gray mean to you?

Explain yourself?

Fierce: Although Alasdair was very gentle, he also believed in justice and knowledge and changing the world for the best in a way that made him ferocious. He had the strength of justice behind him. I remember doing a reading at a bar with him and Tom Leonard and some musicians. Every time there was music people would talk and then they would talk through us - they really didn't want to do much more than talk, very narcissistic audience. The musos made fun of them and played what they wanted. Tom lectured them about the dignity of the writer's labour to get them to shut up and I told jokes at them and Alasdair was just...extraordinary and fierce. They were not expecting it. 

Bright: Because he was incredibly intelligent, but it went deeper than that. He was carrying around a chip of the Enlightenment with him and using it to light fires everywhere he could.

Loving: He was hugely kind and it came from a place of love. He'd give you the socks off his feet. When I was very ill I would see him in the street occasionally and he always wanted to know what he could do, or how he could help, or if I'd like to come over and talk to other writers. I was always too nervous to. There can't have been many people in the West End that he didn't at least ask if he could help, or offer wee jobs, or lend money, or give money.

How did you get to know Alasdair or his work?

I started reading Alasdair with Unlikely Stories Mostly and I had never experienced a voice like his. I kept on as the other books came out - I would save up for the hardbacks. Then I asked him to read for us when I was an arts worker in Clydebank. Then, suddenly I was in events with him, or even interviewing him onstage. I tried to call him a genius a few times and he would wriggle and squeak about it as if I was pouring boiling water down his back. He was a genius. His work showed me anything was possible, you could go anywhere - you could be Scottish and go anywhere. Huge gift.

What have you done differently because of Alasdair?

I wrote exactly as I wanted to and hoped the culture would allow that - if Alasdair had been permitted to be Alasdair I had hopes that anything was possible. Turned out all right for me. He helped me be brave.

How does Alasdair continue to influence or inspire you?

He makes me smile and remember this is a life-changing craft. Always good to remember.

Anything else about Alasdair you’d like to add?

I miss him often and always will.