Grassic Gibbon Centre pays tribute to legacy of author’s son

The death of the only son of famed north-east novelist Lewis Grassic Gibbon has been described as “the end of an era”.

Daryll Mitchell was born in 1935 – less than a year before his father, whose real name was James Leslie Mitchell, died from peritonitis following an emergency operation on a gastric ulcer.

And despite having no memories of his dad, Mr Mitchell has been hailed for the “sterling support” he offered to the Grassic Gibbon Centre in Arbuthnott which was established in 1991 to keep his work alive.

Grassic Gibbon was most famous for his A Scots Quair trilogy of Sunset Song, Cloud Howe and Grey Granite, all set in the north-east in the early 1900s.

Mr Mitchell lived in Devon but made regular visits to explore his family’s Scottish roots with his sister Rhea, who died in 2014.

The pair were responsible for helping the Mearns centre become the world-leading repository of Lewis Grassic Gibbon books and memorabilia.

William Malcolm, literary director of the Grassic Gibbon Centre, said: “Daryll and Rhea acquired a deep affection for the unspoilt rural countryside and the distinctive red clay soil of their forebears, regularly revisiting their ancestral roots in Kincardineshire and lending sterling support to the Grassic Gibbon Centre.”

Rather than carving a trail in the literary industry, Mr Mitchell chose a career in the world of business.

Lewis Grassic Gibbon’ Sunset Song was voted Scotland’s favourite book in a poll in 2016, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying she was one of its biggest fans.