British spy author John le Carré has died in Cornwall age 89
His family has thanked staff at Treliske for their care and compassion
Last updated 14th Dec 2020
Famous British spy author John le Carré has died in Cornwall at the age of 89.
David Cornwell, known to the world as John le Carré, passed away after a short illness in Cornwall on Saturday evening.
His novels such as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy sold millions and were made into TV series and Hollywood films.
It is understood that the 89-year-old had lived in St Buryan for more than 40 years and owned a mile of cliff near Land's End.
He passed away at the Royal Cornwall Hospital and his family has thanked the staff at Treliske for their care and compassion.
In a statement his family said:
"It is with great sadness that we must confirm that David Cornwell – John le Carré – passed away from pneumonia last Saturday night after a short battle with the illness. David is survived by his beloved wife of almost fifty years, Jane, and his sons Nicholas, Timothy, Stephen and Simon. We all grieve deeply his passing.
"Our thanks go to the wonderful NHS team at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro for the care and compassion that he was shown throughout his stay. We know they share our sadness."
About John le Carré
David Cornwell was born in 1931 and worked as an intelligence officer before becoming an international best-selling author.
For six decades, he dominated the bestseller lists and review pages with his monumental body of work.
His dramatic launch onto the global scene began with the publication of his third novel in 1963, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and the public revelation of his secret life working with the British Intelligence Services.
Devoting his life to writing, he went on to define the Cold War era with the help of his character, George Smiley, and through his complex plots and beautiful prose, beamed a harsh light at the injustices of our world.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy came in the 1970s and its accompanying landmark TV series with Alec Guinness. The 1980s brought the novel that is often heralded as his masterpiece: A Perfect Spy. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, David’s focus extended beyond the Soviet/UK/US relations to arms dealing with The Night Manager.
The first decade of the new millennium brought us The Constant Gardener, a passionate critique of Big Pharma and this current decade brought back his favourite creation, George Smiley, in A Legacy of Spies.His last novel, Agent Running in the Field, was published in October 2019.
David wrote 25 novels and one volume of memoir, The Pigeon Tunnel (2016), and has sold more than 60 million copies of his work worldwide.
In a statement his agent, Jonny Geller, CEO of The Curtis Brown Group, said:
"Our hearts go out to his four sons, their families and to his dear wife, Jane.
"His like will never be seen again, and his loss will be felt by every book lover, everyone interested in the human condition.
"We have lost a great figure of English literature, a man of great wit, kindness, humour and intelligence. I have lost a friend, a mentor and an inspiration."