Greg Iles, Southern Literary Icon And Natchez Burning Author, Dies At 65

The legendary Mississippi author of the thrilling trilogy Natchez Burning Greg Iles passed away at the age of 65. He died on Friday, August 15, 2025, due to a long and secret stay with multiple myeloma, an untreatable blood cancer. The agency that represents him, Dan Conaway, announced the news on social media and said that Iles had been diagnosed with the condition in 1996, but his illness remained a secret which was a sign of how determined he was to continue working. 

His final novel, The Southern Man, published in 2024, testifies to how the writer was able to go through a stem cell transplant, his stem cell transplant treatment itself was literally what the writer was all about: his resilience of grit, in the act of slugging it out against his personal hell.  The work by Iles that frequently considered the dark and, in many instances, painful past of the American South has produced an unforgettable mark on the readers and other authors as well.

A Life of Resilience and Storytelling 

The life of Greg Iles itself stands out as a symbol of his indomitable spirit which witnessed as much devastation as it triumphed with the creative area. He was born in Germany but as a three-year-old, he moved to Natchez, Mississippi where he derived his inspiration and home. His writing career has had seventeen novels and one novella and was disrupted in 2011 by a near-fatal car accident. This tragic accident caused him to have a torn aorta and consequently it led to amputation of his right leg.

It is upon his coming to terms with this life-changing occurrence that he ventured into what later became his most well-known writing, the Natchez burning trilogy. The Jim Crow South in the books is based on racial and social tensions, and many feel that these historical fiction thrillers are his magnum opus. All these hardships appeared to have inspired his creativity as he was able to create some of his most influential and emotional stories.

Literary Legacy in the South 

Iles was an icon of the Southern literary world, and his work had its roots in the history and landscape of Mississippi. His fiction had garnered commendations due to a strong character that involved a powerful blend of storytelling and a strong sense of man and duty. He used one of his most recognizable characters, Penn Cage, a hero that can be considered as somewhat of an autobiographical alter-ego of the author himself to address some of the hardest questions on race and justice.

He advocated the Mississippi Book Festival and was a member of the rock group the Rock Bottom Remainders, a gang of famous writers including Stephen King and Amy Tan. His devotion to his art, his straightforwardness in regard to his health struggles during his later years, and his insurgent attachment to the American South have made him extraordinarily unique and influential to what he is today, a profound voice in contemporary literature.

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