American novelist and screenwriter Paul Auster died of complications from lung cancer at his home in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, aged 77, the New York Times reported, citing friend and writer Jacki Lyden.
The New Jersey-born writer was known for a series of acclaimed works, including “The New York Trilogy” and “The Book of Illusions.”
“We are deeply saddened by the death of Booker Prize finalist Paul Auster, whose work touched readers and influenced writers around the world, and whose generosity was felt in so many places,” wrote the Booker Prize on Platform X.
The literary institution selected his book “4 3 2 1” for the award in 2017.
The author of more than 30 books, including poetry and memoirs, told Reuters in 2011 that he liked to write by hand in notebooks and then produce the final copy on a typewriter instead of a computer.
“I feel most alive when I’m working,” he said.
“I’m convinced that writing is a kind of illness. Who would want to spend your life sitting in a room, writing words on paper? It’s a strange occupation. You have to have a great taste for solitude,” said Auster.