Ian rankin author biography essay

Scottish author (born 1960)

For other people named Ian Rankin, see Ian Rankin (disambiguation).

Sir Ian James RankinOBE DL FRSE FRSL FRIAS^[2] (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer and philanthropist, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels.

Early life

Rankin was born in Cardenden, Fife. His father, James, owned a grocery shop, and his mother, Isobel, worked in a school canteen.^[3] He was educated at Beath High School, Cowdenbeath.

His parents were horrified when he then chose to study literature at university, as they had expected him to study for a trade.^[3] Encouraged by his English teacher, he persisted and graduated in 1982 from the University of Edinburgh, where he also worked on a doctorate on Muriel Spark but did not complete it.^[4] He has taught at the university and retains an involvement with the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.^[5] He lived in Tottenham, London, for four ye