ONE of Scotland's most acclaimed writers and artists, Alasdair Gray, has revealed the details of his new book, an autobiography which features unpublished writing and the stories behind his art.

Of Me & Others will be published by Glasgow book company Cargo on April 12 and launched at the Aye Write! Book Festival, for which The Herald is media partner, at an event at the Mitchell Library.

The writer of Lanark, judged one of the greatest Scottish books of the last century, said: "The nearest thing to an autobiography I can imagine completing is this book."

In the new book he tells of how he wrote Lanark, and other books such as 1982, Janine and Fleck.

The writer, 79, who trained at Glasgow School of Art, also explains the process behind his public projects like the Hillhead Underground mural and his art work at Oran Mor.

Gray, who prompted controversy last year with his essay on "Settlers and Colonists" in Scotland, also tells of his meetings with figures such as Anthony Burgess and R.D. Laing.

Mark Buckland, founder of Cargo, said: "This book has been two-and-a-half years in the making and is not only a highly inventive telling of Alasdair's life, it's also an essential document for understanding where Scottish art has been and where it's going next."

Dr. Alistair Braidwood, editor of the book, said it is "everything you would expect from an Alasdair Gray book; ribald, humorous, angry and incisive.

"By concentrating on the lives of friends and family as seen through his eyes, the result is a more complete picture of the man than most traditional autobiographies would manage."