Bestselling author Wilbur Smith (88) dies

Zambian-born writer published 49 books and sold more than 140 million copies worldwide

Wilbur Smith has died in South Africa aged 88. Photograph: HAIDER SHAH/AFP via Getty Images
Wilbur Smith has died in South Africa aged 88. Photograph: HAIDER SHAH/AFP via Getty Images

Bestselling author Wilbur Smith died at his home in South Africa on Saturday at the age of 88.

With 49 titles, Smith became a household name, with his swashbuckling adventure stories taking readers from tropical islands to the jungles of Africa, ancient Egypt and the second World War.

The Zambian-born writer published 49 books and sold more than 140 million copies worldwide.

“Global bestselling author Wilbur Smith died unexpectedly this afternoon at his Cape Town home after a morning of reading and writing with his wife Niso by his side,” said a statement released on the Wilbur Smith Books website, as well as by his publishers Bonnier Books UK.

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“The undisputed and inimitable master of adventure writing, Wilbur Smith’s novels have gripped readers for over half a century, selling over 140 million copies worldwide in more than thirty languages.”

The statements did not reveal the cause of death. – Guardian