Writer Antonia Susan Byatt dies

English writer Antonia Susan Byatt has died at the age of 87. This was reported by The Guardian with reference to the publishing house Chatto & Windus.

The writer died at home surrounded by loved ones.

“We mourn her loss, but we are pleased to know that her heartfelt work will dazzle, shine and refract in the minds of readers for generations to come,” said publisher Clara Farmer.

Antonia Susan Byatt was born in Sheffield in 1936 into the family of a lawyer and philologist. She was educated at Newnham College, Cambridge University, Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, and Sommerville College, Oxford.

In 1964, Byatt published her first novel, The Shadow of the Sun. Byatt won the Booker Prize for her 1990 novel Possess. Time magazine included this work in its list of the 100 best novels written in English from 1923 to 2005. The novel has been translated into more than 30 languages. In 2002, a film adaptation of the novel was released, the film was directed by Neil LaBute, and Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart played in the film.

Another of Byett's novels, The Children's Book, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2009. In total, Byatt is the author of more than two dozen books.