 The questions about the veracity of Chatwin 's writing are compounded by the revelation of his sexual orientation and the true cause of his death . Once it became known that Chatwin had been bisexual and had died of an AIDS @-@ related illness , some critics viewed him as a liar and dismissed his work . Nicholas Shakespeare said , " His denial [ of his AIDS diagnosis ] bred a sense that if he lied about his life , he must have lied about his work . Some readers have taken this as a cue to pass judgement on his books – or else not to bother with them . " In 2010 The Guardian 's review of Under the Sun : The Letters of Bruce Chatwin opened with the question , " Does anyone read Bruce Chatwin these days ? " However , Rory Stewart has stated , " His personality , his learning , his myths , and even his prose are less hypnotizing [ than they once were ] . And yet he remains a great writer , of deep and enduring importance . ” In 2008 The Times named Chatwin # 46 on their list of " 50 Greatest British Writers Since 1945 " . 
