Greg Iles, the renowned Mississippi author known for the “Natchez Burning” trilogy and other notable works, has passed away at the age of 65. His literary agent, Dan Conaway, shared the news on Facebook, revealing that Iles succumbed after a long battle with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer.
Diagnosed with this incurable disease back in 1996, Iles kept his condition private until he finished his final novel, Southern Man, which was published in 2024.
Born in Germany, Iles moved to Natchez, Mississippi, with his family when he was just three years old. He developed a profound connection to the region, which became the backdrop for many of his stories, including the Natchez Burning trilogy—historical fiction suspense novels that delve into themes of race and class during the Jim Crow South of the 1960s.
Conaway remembered Iles as a warm, humorous, and fearless individual with a unique voice. He praised Iles’s creative process, describing how the author seamlessly combined storytelling, deep humanity, and a strong sense of moral and political awareness with precision and passion.
In 2011, Iles faced a serious health crisis when a ruptured aorta and a car accident led to the partial amputation of his leg. He spent over a week in a medically induced coma but eventually made a recovery.
Apart from writing, Iles was also a musician, performing with the band The Rock Bottom Remainders, alongside other celebrated authors like Stephen King and Amy Tan.
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