British author John le Carré, writer of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Night Manager, has died aged 89, his literary agent has said.
The literary great, whose real name was David Cornwell, passed away after a short battle with pneumonia that was not COVID-19 related.
Jonny Gellar, chief executive of the Curtis Brown Group, announced the news in a tweet on Sunday night.
“With much sadness, I must announce the passing of one the world’s great writers – John le Carré,” the post read.
A statement shared on behalf of the espionage author’s family confirmed he died of pneumonia.
“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,” the statement said.
“David is survived by his beloved wife of almost 50 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.”
Born in Poole, Dorset, le Carré became an MI5 officer in 1958 and later transferred to MI6, the foreign-intelligence service, working under the cover of Second Secretary at the British Embassy at Bonn, Germany, before turning his hand to writing spy novels.
His agent described him as an “undisputed giant of English literature” who defined the Cold War era, with his work being read and cherished across the globe for six decades.