Gilbert Adair was a Scottish author, film critic, journalist, and translator, born on December 29, 1944, and died on December 8, 2011. He became known for his elegant prose style and his works that often pay homage to classic texts and films. His writings covered a variety of genres including novels, essays, and screenplays. Adair's novels often explore themes of art, literature, and cinema, and he had a particular interest in pastiches and parodies. One of his most well-known books, "The Holy Innocents," was later adapted into the film "The Dreamers" (2003) directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Adair himself worked on the screenplay, contributing to what became a widely discussed exploration of youth, cinema, and sexual politics. Among his other notable works are the pastiche "Love and Death on Long Island," a modern retelling of Thomas Mann's "Death in Venice," and "The Act of Roger Murgatroyd," an homage to Golden Age detective fiction, particularly the works of Agatha Christie. Adair also received praise for his translations, including those of Georges Perec's works, notably "A Void," a novel written without the letter 'e'. Adair's diverse contributions to literature and film criticism earned him a distinct place as a cultural commentator with a deep appreciation for the interplay between text and screen.