born July 19, 1896, Cardross, Dumbartonshire, Scot.
died Jan. 6, 1981, Montreux, Switz.
Scottish novelist.
Trained as a surgeon, he practiced medicine mostly in mining communities, but he ceased because of ill health and used his leisure to write. His books combine sentimentality with social criticism. His first novel, Hatter's Castle (1931; film, 1941), was an immediate success. His classic The Stars Look Down (1935; film, 1939) chronicles social injustice in a mining community. Other works include The Citadel (1937; film, 1938), The Keys of the Kingdom (1942; film, 1944), The Green Years (1944; film, 1946), The Judas Tree (1961), and A Thing of Beauty (1956).