Toronto author Graeme Gibson, who was Margaret Atwood's longtime partner, died September 18, the Star reported. He was 85. Gibson had been accompanying Atwood on her tour for The Testaments.
"We are devastated by the loss of Graeme, our beloved father, grandfather, and spouse, but we are happy that he achieved the kind of swift exit he wanted and avoided the decline into further dementia that he feared," Atwood said in a statement. "He had a lovely last few weeks, and he went out on a high, surrounded by love, friendship and appreciation. We are grateful for his wise, ethical, and committed life."
Gibson's books include The Bedside Book of Birds, Five Legs, Communion, Perpetual Motion and Gentleman Death. He was a co-founder of both the Writers' Trust of Canada and the Writers' Union of Canada and served as the president of PEN Canada. His honors include the Harbourfront Prize and the Toronto Arts Award. He was also a member of the Order of Canada.
Kristin Cochrane, CEO of Penguin Random House Canada, said "his influence on the lives of writers in this country has been profound and far-reaching. We are grateful for that superlative legacy, one that will continue to flourish, and also grateful for our own experiences working with Graeme: a true gentleman, whose gracious, elegant, and witty manner touched all who knew him."
The Writers' Trust tweeted: "Author Graeme Gibson made a huge impact on the work of countless Canadian writers as a co-founder of @writerstrust. A truly fine person with a brilliant legacy. Our hearts go out to his loving circle of family and friends."