23rd July 2009
Newcastle-born crime writer and journalist Gordon Burn has died aged 61.
Famous for his books on serial killers such as the Yorkshire Ripper, Mr Burn's works touched on both fact, fiction and the cult of celebrity.
Fiction books include titles such as Alma Cogan, Fullalove and the North of England Home Service.
Non-fiction works include popular books such as Happy Like Murders: The Story of Fred and Rosemary West, which is based on case files of the couple.
Mr Burn worked for publications including Esquire and the Guardian and focused on immersion in his books' subject matter with his writing, which often centred around death.
His passing follows the publication of the Crime Writers' Association's Dagger in the Library winners, which celebrate the best in crime and thriller writing across the international publishing stage.
This year's Dagger in the Library winner was Colin Cotterill, while the International Dagger was picked up by author Fred Vargas and translator Sian Reynolds for the third time in four years.