The Mercury’s Idler columnist Graham Linscott died on Thursday at the age of 83. A master storyteller, a quick wit and a wordsmith with a “wonderful way with words”. This is how Idler columnist Graham Linscott has been described by those who knew him.
Linscott died yesterday at the age of 83. Linscott had a long and illustrious career in journalism. According to his website, linscott.co.za, he worked as a journalist in 11 African countries.
He covered the revolutionary wars in Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe and had a lengthy spell in the press gallery of the South African parliament. The Idler column has been in existence for 144 years and has seen many take on the role. Linscott had been the current Idler for more than 15 years.
Read Full Article on The Mercury
[paywall]
Philani Mazibuko, The Mercury’s editor, paid tribute to Linscott for bringing frivolity and humour to readers in his daily Idler columns, noting that many readers kept buying the paper because of their fondness for his musings. “He will be dearly missed by his colleagues and the readers of The Mercury,” he said. David Canning, former editor of The Mercury, also paid warm tribute to Linscott.
“In recent years, Graham continued to write the daily Idler column for The Mercury – taking a humorous and an often tongue-in-cheek look at current affairs. In this, he continued a tradition which has lasted for most of The Mercury’s long existence since it was founded in 1852.” Former night editor for The Mercury, Jon Knight, remembered Linscott as a charming person, with a wonderful way with words and a real raconteur. “He was happiest sharing stories of his past escapades, of which there were many, and telling stories of the larger-than-life people he had met, preferably with a glass of something stronger than water in his hand. “He was a wordsmith and the author of many books, including biographies of Ian Player and mercenary Peter Duffy.
[/paywall]
